Keeping Secrets
by The Create Card
Summary: Sakura's been having a dream. It has to do with her brother, three evil Digimon, and the secret she never revealed to him. What happens when Sakura and Tori are abducted? And where do three certain DigiDestined come in? The End is here!
1. Dream or Prophecy?

Author's Note: And thus begins the story I've finally been building up to. All I had to do was find time to write it. But now I have, so here it is.

  


Disclaimer (because those things seem to be en vogue): I do not own Card Captor Sakura, CLAMP does. I do not own Digimon, Toei does. However...I DO own three evil Digimon you are all about to meet. So I can at least take pride in that, I guess. ^_^

  


**Keeping Secrets: Part 1**

  


_~* It's that dream again. *~_

Eighteen-year old Sakura Avalon didn't want to believe it, but it was happening again. She was having that dream. A dream that had been plaguing her for many weeks. Sakura knew she was asleep in her bed, but that's not where she was standing. She wasn't wearing any of Madison's unusual costumes, but she was just in a coat and jeans standing in the middle of Penguin Park. She felt the cold wind blowing against her and she felt her hands become gradually icier. Even after seeing this dream so many times, she was relieved that she wasn't wearing a skirt like she always seemed to in these types of situations.

But the dream went on like it always did. Sakura looked up to see her big brother, Tori Avalon. She knew what was coming, but it seemed like she could do nothing about it.

"I'm glad I found you tonight, Sakura," Tori said. "And…I'm glad we're alone. There's…something I've been meaning to tell you."

Sakura gulped. "And…there's something I've been meaning to tell YOU."

Tori smiled. "I can see it on your face, squirt. You're finally ready to tell me the truth, aren't you?"

Sakura hung her head down. "You knew all along, didn't you?"

"It took me a while to figure it all out," Tori replied. "But…"

Silence.

"You knew about me," Sakura finished for him. "You knew I had magical powers."

Tori nodded. "I knew. But…it's because I haven't been honest with you. Sakura…I once had magical powers myself."

Sakura looked up in shock, just like every other time she had that dream. It still shocked her. "Once? You mean you don't have them anymore?"

Tori was about to answer…when it happened again. There was a laughing that came from an unknown area nearby. Then Sakura heard a something yell out…

"Sinister Ice Rings!"

Before any of them could react, Sakura felt something wrap around her arms and waist. Sakura looked over to see a ring of ice had her tied up and trapped. She tried to loosen its grip, but only fell over. And to her horror, she saw Tori was tied up as well. Finally, something came out of the shadows. It was a trio of unusual creatures.

Two of them brought up the rear. One looked to be a disfigured gorilla-type creature that walked upright. This was no ape, though. It looked to be scarred all over its body and have drool coming from its hideous face. It was like nothing Sakura had ever seen, but she could say the same thing for the others as well.

The second one was a skull with an antenna sticking out of the top of its head. The skull was on top of eight spider legs and it had an eerie grin on its face. It was also emitting a creepy laughter that sent a chill down Sakura's spine.

The one in the lead was a masked creature wearing a black cloak. There was literally a blue fire burning in its eyes. Though it looked and stood like one, Sakura knew it couldn't be human.

"Are these the ones?" the disfigured one asked.

"Who else have we been watching for so long?" the skull snapped.

"These are the two we need," the cloaked being said. "The ones that will help restore the great one. Get them on their feet."

"NO!" Tori shouted. "Take me, but leave my sister out of this!"

"Sorry, but we require both you AND your sister," the cloaked one shot back. "Your sister, the Mistress of the magical Sakura Cards."

After having seen this dream repeatedly, she knew what was coming next.

"SAKURA!!!"

Just like before, Sakura knew that voice. It was Li Showron, wearing his robes and holding up his sword. Sakura looked out into the distance to see Li running towards her. And then, the skull turned around.

"Psycho Laser!"

A laser beam came out of the skull's mouth and headed straight towards Li. The laser struck him in the torso and he fell to the ground. Li lay on the ground…bleeding.

Sakura felt a sharp pain in her heart. "LI, NO!!"

Sakura couldn't do anything to stop this. Before she could say anything more, she and Tori were being pushed away.

The cloaked one spoke one more time. "Now…we go…to the Digital World."

  


~--------------------~

  


****BEEP…BEEP…BEEP…BEEP****

Sakura woke up in a cold sweat. She took a short nap and had set her alarm for 6:00 PM so she wouldn't oversleep.

Even after having this dream so many times, Sakura still couldn't understand it. It still didn't make sense to her. It had started so normally. After seven years, Sakura was finally going to come clean. She was going to be truthful with her brother and there would be no more secrets between them. They each have their own magical powers and this whole time, they had kept it from each other. Of course, Tori had been on to her for many years.

But it all went awry so fast. Who were these three that were taking them? Sakura had their images fresh in her mind and she knew they were evil. But what did they want? It would make sense that they'd want Sakura because she controlled some of the most powerful magic in the world. But what kind of power did Tori have that they'd want him as well? Sakura didn't know, nor did she know what these three meant by going to "the Digital World".

All that paled in comparison to what scared Sakura the most. She couldn't shake that image of seeing Li Showron, the love of her life, on the ground bleeding…possibly to death. It scared the life out of Sakura and that's why she didn't want to tell Li. If Li wasn't aware of any of this, he couldn't possibly live it…could he?

Sakura felt so confused. She didn't know what to do. The only thing she was positive on was that she wouldn't tell Li. Despite urging from Meilin in Hong Kong, Madison, and even Kero, Sakura's mind was made up. She would tell Tori her secret eventually. But she wouldn't tell Li at all about this dream. His life depended on it.

"You had that dream again, didn't you?" a certain guardian beast asked.

Sakura looked in the mirror. Her hair was out of place and she felt so sweaty. It could be seen that she saw that nightmarish prophecy again. Sakura's eyes were covered in red cracks and there were bags under them. This whole thing had taken its toll on her.

"Sakura…are you sure you don't want to tell Li?" Kero asked for about the millionth time in the last few days.

Sakura didn't answer. She just walked out and walked into her bathroom. Sakura needed some time to reflect on this. She was sure no one would mind her taking up the bathroom. The only other person home was Tori since her father was out of town. But someone did knock on the bathroom door. Sakura opened it and Kero flew in, holding her phone.

"Kero!" Sakura snapped. "What if Tori sees you?!"

"I don't think that's much of a concern anymore," Kero said. "But take this. Someone's concerned about you."

Sakura took the phone. "Hello?"

_"Sakura? It's Madison. Kero told me you had that dream again. Are you absolutely sure you don't want to tell Li?"_

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?!" Sakura asked angrily. "I said NO!"

_"Sakura…you need to relax. You sound like you're about to explode."_

"You can't imagine what I saw in that dream, Madison."

_"You already told me all about it. I know it seems scary, but you can't just hide in your house forever."_

"I can and I will," Sakura retorted. She was clearly delirious.

_"You know, Sakura, if you're THAT scared, then why don't you just tell Tori your secret now?"_

In the midst of all the panic and confusion, that thought had never crossed Sakura's mind. If she could tell Tori her secret now, there would be no need to visit Penguin Park. So she walked out of the bathroom, with the phone still in hand, and walked over to Tori's room.

"Tori? Are you here?"

Sakura peered into Tori's room and found it was empty. Tori was gone. Sakura had the house to herself, but unlike other occasions, it didn't make her happy at all. She wanted her brother back.

"Madison…he's not here."

_"He's not. That's weird. Well…why don't you take a walk for a little while. Get your mind off of this. Clear your head. And when you come back, tell Tori everything."_

"That doesn't sound like such a bad idea," Sakura smiled. "Thanks, Madison."

_"No problem, Sakura. Just let me know how it goes. Bye."_

Sakura hung up and walked to her room to get ready to leave. She was already wearing a pair of jeans, so she was practically ready to go. She noticed from her open window that it was chilly out, so Sakura reached over for her coat.

"Where are you going?" Kero asked.

"I'm taking a walk," Sakura answered. "I'll be back in a few hours."

"I hope you change your mind," Kero replied. He obviously wanted Sakura to go tell Li, but she wasn't about to do so.

"Just let me clear my head," Sakura shot back. She was about to leave, but an instinct suddenly struck. She walked over to her drawer and opened it. The Sakura Cards flew out one-by-one and went into her coat pocket.

With the Sakura Cards safely in her pocket, Sakura walked out the door…and went to take a walk.

  


Next Time: This was just a brief prologue. But what does the whole dream mean? Can anyone keep it from coming true? And are there any certain other characters (*cough* Digidestined *cough*) nearby?

  


Any comments? Let me know what you think by mailing me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and come back tomorrow for the next chapter!


	2. Slowly Falling Into Place

Last Time: Finally, we saw Sakura's dream. After seeing those three weird creatures and Li bleeding on the ground again, Sakura knew it was time to tell Tori now. But once she found her brother wasn't home, Sakura decided to go take a walk. So what could possibly happen now?

  


**Keeping Secrets: Part 2**

  


With the house empty, Kero knew he had free access to the kitchen. But for some reason, the little guardian beast wasn't hungry. Usually he'd be scarfing down numerous cups of pudding, but he wasn't in the mood tonight. Having seen Sakura suffer through seeing this dream was worrying Kero more than anything. He wished there was something he could do.

Before he could think of anything else, though, the front door came open.

"Tori? Are you here?"

It was Julian Star, Tori's best friend. But Kero knew who he REALLY was and the timing couldn't be better. Kero needed to have a long talk with Julian's alter ego. Julian looked around the living room and didn't see Kero casually fly over towards the couch.

"We need to talk," Kero said. "YOU know who I need to talk to."

And as if on cue, before Julian could react, the transformation began. The wings had spread and Julian had transformed into the guardian, Yue. Yue found Kero on the couch and just looked at him with his expressionless eyes.

"I wasn't expecting this," Yue said in his suave, yet cold, voice. "We hardly ever talk anymore, Kero. What's the occasion?"

"You've been keeping secrets from me!" Kero said indignantly. "How long has Tori known about me?"

"That's a dumb question," Yue said casually. "I thought you said he was on to you. That was seven years ago."

"Yeah…but…about a week ago, he actually called me by name!" Kero shot back. "He's known about me and if he knew, you should have told me!"

"This was something you should have figured out for yourself," Yue said. "Come now, Kero. If Tori knew about ME for seven years, how could he possibly have not known about you? Especially knowing how you can't keep a secret."

"Hey, I can keep secrets!" Kero whined.

"The point is, you should have known all along. I don't know why you're surprised. Even AFTER Tori lost his powers, he still knew you existed."

"Huh? Wait, back up a minute!" Kero exclaimed. "AFTER Tori lost his powers? You mean Tori doesn't have powers anymore?"

"I thought I told you that," Yue muttered.

"No, you didn't. See?! You HAVE been keeping secrets!"

"How do you think I'm still here?" Yue explained. "If it wasn't for Tori, both I and Julian would have disappeared. We needed magic to sustain us both and Tori willingly sacrificed his powers to save us. That's when Tori found out who I was. How could you have gone so long without knowing any of this?"

"Because a certain guardian won't tell me…or his mistress!"

"I wanted Sakura to discover her brother for herself," Yue said. "So how did she find out?"

"The night Tori and Julian were recalling the night Sakura sneaked out to seal the Cloud Card," Kero answered. "Sakura heard the whole thing."

"So Sakura knows Tori's secret and Tori knows hers. Have they told each other?"

"Um…Sakura's looking for the right opportunity. It hasn't been easy with this dream she's been having. And knowing the dreams Sakura has, this sounds more like a prophecy."

"What is this dream?" Yue asked.

"Sakura and Tori are both at Penguin Park confessing their secret to each other," Kero began. "Then three…things…come out and tie them up. The Chinese brat tries to save them, but he gets attacked and is stuck bleeding on the ground. Then they say they're going to take them to something called the 'Digital World'."

"Digital World?" Yue repeated incredulously. "Sounds preposterous."

"Hey, our whole existence would be preposterous to a lot of people," Kero pointed out. "So I don't rule ANYTHING out. We always have to expect the unexpected. Besides, Sakura says it all feels so real…so who am I to argue?"

"Has she told her boyfriend?"

"She refuses to. She thinks if Li finds out about this dream, he'll fall right into it. She thinks if he stays unaware of everything, he'll be fine. Of course, that's not always the case, but Sakura doesn't want to see that. I just hope that dream doesn't come true."

"If you're so worried about Sakura's safety, then why didn't you go with her to protect her just in case?" Yue asked.

Kero sweatdropped. "That thought…never crossed my mind."

"How irresponsible could you be?" Yue snapped. "If this is as serious as you say it is, then we shouldn't let the mistress out of our sight! We should find her immediately!"

Kero didn't want to admit it, but Yue was right. He should have been by her side through this whole thing. Kero should have been a bodyguard, but he wasn't. What if something was happening to her?

"You're right," Kero said. "Let's go." Yue was about to walk out, when Kero cleared his throat. "Ahem…the BACK door."

Yue shrugged and went towards the back door. Kero flew onto his shoulder and once they were out the back door, Yue took to the sky. Hopefully, they would find Sakura soon.

* * *

It had been a few minutes since eighteen-year old Madison Taylor told Sakura to take a walk and clear her head. Madison was the first one to find out about Sakura's dream and, like her best friend, she didn't know what to make of any of it. But there was nothing the dark-haired Madison could do at the moment. So she took out her video camera and decided to go visit Li Showron.

It wasn't a long walk. When Li came back from Hong Kong, he needed a place to stay, so Madison gladly opened up her guesthouse for him. Li had lived there since then and they had grown to be a happy family…unless Madison was taping him.

Madison got to Li's guesthouse and opened the door with her key. Inside, Li was wearing his robes and practicing with his sword. Madison immediately started taping.

"The Chinese warrior takes his stance and begins to practice his technique. See how he gracefully handles his sword."

Li looked towards the camera and sweatdropped. "Madison…why are you taping me?"

"I wanted to see your awesome technique," Madison grinned. "AND…this might even be a good audition tape for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2!"

Li frowned and sweatdropped again before putting his sword back in his jade charm. "I suddenly need to take a walk. I'll be right back."

Without hesitation, Li was out the door and was walking out towards the mansion's gates. But before he was out, Madison posed a question to him.

"Where are you walking?"

"I don't know. Penguin Park, I guess."

Madison sighed and went back to her house. Without Li to entertain her, her mind was back on Sakura. More than anything, she wished she could help her figure this all out. But all she had to work with were the details.

_~* "Where did all this happen, Sakura?"_

"We were both at Penguin Park" *~

Madison stopped walking.

_~* "Well…why don't you take a walk for a little while?" *~_

She shrugged. What were the odds?

_~* "Where are you walking?"_

"I don't know. Penguin Park, I guess." *~

That's when Madison began to put it all together. Sakura was taking a walk. Tori wasn't home. Li was taking a walk in Penguin Park. Li was WEARING HIS ROBES! It all seemed to be just a coincidence, but after everything that had happened in their lives, Madison couldn't take that chance. She already had a purple blouse and matching skirt, so she immediately went into her mansion to grab her trench coat and head out to Penguin Park.

Her friends could be in grave danger.

* * *

The moon was out and the moonlight shone down upon the pond. Eighteen-year old Kari Kamiya was captivated by the sight and thought Penguin Park was just beautiful. But it was pretty far from home and she had to wonder why her friend would ask her there.

"Where is he?" Kari asked.

"Just late…I think."

Kari gasped. She looked up a tree and knew who was hiding in there. "Gatomon! What are you doing here? I thought I told you to wait in the car!"

Kari's Digimon companion, Gatomon, came out from hiding and leaped down from one of the tree's branches. Like any other cat-like Digimon, Gatomon landed on her feet. Kari had known Gatomon since she was eight and discovered she was the eighth DigiDestined. While Gatomon made her home in the Digital World, she came out a week ago to visit Kari. But her visit was interrupted by that certain friend who wanted to meet her out in Penguin Park.

"I don't think Davis would stand you up, Kari," Gatomon said. "I think he's just late."

"He knows I have homework!" Kari frowned. "Why would he ask me to meet him here? Maybe he wants me to help him with his."

"I don't think that's it," Gatomon sang.

"Maybe DemiVeemon got in his engine again he needs help fixing his car…or maybe he's still looking for that album he can't find…or maybe he just wants to talk about the soccer game he had earlier."

"No, no, and no," Gatomon grinned. "I think *I* know what Davis wants."

Kari wanted to shrug that thought off. Davis and Kari had been friends for many years and he had always had crush on her since they first met. But Davis hadn't acted upon his crush in a long time. And maybe it was better that way. Because Kari wasn't into the idea of getting into a romantic relationship at this point in her life. Not since the day she and TK...

"What do you know?" Kari huffed. Gatomon was her dear companion, but lately when it came to Davis, she could be a pain.

"I know more than you on this one, Kari," Gatomon giggled.

"Oh…go hide in the tree or something!"

Gatomon giggled again before going up the tree to hide. At least that would leave Kari alone with her thoughts. Why HAD Davis asked her to be here?

* * *

"You just HAD to come along, didn't you?!"

"I couldn't let you go by yourself, Davis. I wanted to see this for myself."

"But how many times do I have to tell you, DON'T hide in my engine! Now I have to get my car fixed again! And I'm supposed to meet Kari in…FIVE MINUTES!!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know you're supposed to meet Kari. That's why I wanted to come along."

"I don't NEED you here! You could've stayed home! Who asked you to come along, anyway?!"

"I think you're still nervous, Davis. Why else would you be hiding me in your backpack?"

"You're lucky you fit. And since you've already gone to the trouble of busting my car again, I might as well being you along."

"I still think you're nervous…about seeing Kari. You're finally going to ask her out, aren't you?"

"Oh, be quiet. I can't let it look like I'm talking to my backpack. And I'm already LATE!"

The timing couldn't be any worse for eighteen-year old Davis Motomiya. Finally, after all these years, he was actually ready to ask Kari Kamiya out on a date, but he wanted the occasion to be special. So he asked her to meet him in this place called Penguin Park in the neighboring city of Reedington. But he didn't count on his visiting Digimon companion, DemiVeemon, hiding in Davis' engine.

Davis had known the rookie-level Veemon for many years since he first became a DigiDestined. After the adventures in the Digital World, Davis and Veemon parted ways, but Veemon would always come visit occasionally. This was a bad occasion, since Davis was on edge. He didn't know what Kari would possibly say or what her answer would be. A lot had happened in the last seven years. But Davis knew one thing was for sure. He didn't know how he could deal with rejection from the girl he's had a crush on since he was 11. And he was running a huge risk, because he didn't know what Kari's state of mind would be. She might still be recovering from the day she and TK...

Davis shrugged. In the back of his mind, he knew he had to try again someday. And tonight was a good night.

With Davis' car temporarily out of commission, he had to walk all the way to Reedington, which wasn't easy. But it was still quite a distance to Penguin Park. And even in his in-training form, DemiVeemon was quite a load to carry. Luckily, the streets were seemingly empty. But only seemingly. Because when Davis turned a street corner…he crashed into someone.

"OW!"

Davis dropped his backpack.

"OW!" yelled the voice inside the backpack.

Davis helped the person up. It was a long, dark-haired young girl about Davis's age. She was wearing a purple blouse and skirt and had a trench coat. Such bright colors didn't indicate her mood at the moment, though. She didn't look happy.

"I'm sorry," Davis apologized.

"Me, too," the backpack added. Davis promptly kicked it before DemiVeemon could blow his cover.

"Um…I must have taken a bigger hit than I thought," the girl said. "I thought I just heard your backpack."

"Uh…no!" Davis panicked. "Wasn't my backpack. Backpacks don't talk. Look, I'm really sorry. I should watch where I'm going next time, but I'm in a hurry. I have to go!"

"Um…it's ok," the girl smiled. "It's not your fault and…I'm kinda in a hurry myself."

Silence.

"Gotta go!" shouted both Davis and the girl.

The girl got up and ran off, in a hurry just like she had said. Davis was in a hurry himself, so he tried to pick his backpack up, underestimating how heavy it was, and he fell over.

"DemiVeemon! What do you eat down in the Digital World? You've gained weight!"

"Hey, I've been watching my figure," DemiVeemon whined. "I think I look pretty slim."

"Never mind," Davis groaned. "I'm already late. We have to hurry up!"

Hopefully, DemiVeemon wouldn't make any more noise or do anything else to attract attention. Davis was still quite a distance from Penguin Park, so he needed to move faster. But the weight of his companion wasn't helping, so Davis wasn't moving as fast as he needed.

Hopefully, Kari would wait for him.

* * *

The wind felt so cold and Sakura's hands felt like ice. If anything, this walk gave her a chance to clear her head. Sakura closed her eyes for a moment and just reflected on the blowing wind. She felt much more relaxed and this would have been more than enough to calm her nerves. But at that moment…

"Sakura?"

Sakura looked out towards her left. Penguin Park was across the street…and standing there was…

…her brother Tori.

  


Next Time: Sakura and Tori are both in Penguin Park. That can't mean anything, can it? (I think we all know the answer to that) And where is everybody else at? Li? Madison? Kari? Davis? Kero and Yue? Come back to see what happens!


	3. A Nightmare Comes True

Last Time: All the coincidences begin to come together. Li's gone out for a walk, Madison's desperately searching for Li and Sakura, and Kero and Yue are seeking out Sakura. Meanwhile, we have two DigiDestined meeting at the ever-fateful Penguin Park. And through all this…Sakura has stumbled upon Tori…in Penguin Park.

  


**Keeping Secrets: Part 3**

  


Sakura knew full well what it would mean if she made that walk. So why couldn't she stop moving towards her brother? She felt as if a force had control of her legs as she just kept inching closer to Tori. She knew this was just like her dream…yet she couldn't bring herself to stop. The thought of revealing a lifelong secret seemed…inviting…and liberating.

Sakura finally reached her brother and waved timidly. "Hi."

"Hey, squirt. I didn't expect to see you out here tonight. ………Let's take a walk."

Sakura didn't know why, but she nodded. She walked right behind Tori and they walked towards an empty area of Penguin Park. There were no people around and it was the perfect place…to reveal a secret.

Tori finally broke the silence…with those eerie first words. "I'm glad I found you tonight, Sakura. And…I'm glad we're alone. There's…something I've been meaning to tell you."

Sakura gulped…and so it began. "And…there's something I've been meaning to tell YOU."

Tori smiled. "I can see it on your face, squirt. You're finally ready to tell me the truth, aren't you?"

Sakura hung her head down. "You knew all along, didn't you?"

"It took me a while to figure it all out," Tori replied. "But…"

Silence.

"You knew about me," Sakura finished for him. "You knew I had magical powers."

Tori nodded. "I knew. But…it's because I haven't been honest with you. Sakura…I once had magical powers myself."

Sakura looked up in shock, just like every other time she had that dream. It still shocked her. "Once? You mean you don't have them anymore?"

Sakura knew EXACTLY where this would lead, so she reached into her pocket. She recognized the familiar warm texture of the Fiery Card and she would unleash it immediately, if necessary.

Tori was about to answer…when the dream started to come true. Sakura heard some maniacal laughter coming from the distance. And just like in her dream…

"Sinister Ice Rings!"

Something came towards Sakura and Tori. Sakura desperately tried to unleash Fiery, but the attack moved too fast. Like she had seen so many times in her dream…Sakura and Tori were both tied by the waist and fell over. And just like in her dream…those three creatures came out of the shadows.

* * *

After about an hour of walking around to clear his head, Li Showron found himself walking by Penguin Park. But as soon as he got there, he heard maniacal laughter…followed by a scream. A very familiar scream. It was Sakura. Li recognized her voice anywhere. Sakura was in danger.

So without a second thought, Li reached for his jade charm and released his sword. The echoes of the laughter could still be heard, so he followed the sounds…

…and got ready for a fight.

* * *

There was one thing about all this that left Sakura relieved. While she was looking into the faces of a disfigured ape-thing, a frightful skull spider, and a masked creature, she did know one thing…and that relieved her greatly.

"Are these the ones?" the disfigured ape asked.

"Who else have we been watching for so long?" the skull spider snapped.

"These are the two we need," the cloaked being said. "The ones that will help restore the great one. Get them on their feet."

"NO!" Tori shouted. "Take me, but leave my sister out of this!"

"Sorry, but we require both you AND your sister," the cloaked one shot back. "Your sister, the Mistress of the magical Sakura Cards."

Usually, when Sakura had this dream, this would be where Li came in. But Li wasn't aware that any of this was happening. So there could be no way he'd know she was here. That relieved her…until…

"SAKURA!!"

Sakura gasped in horror. It WAS happening. Running in from the distance…was Li Showron in his robes and holding up his sword, just like in her dream. Sakura couldn't bear to look, because she knew what was about to happen, but before she could turn away, the skull spider turned towards Li.

"Psycho Laser!"

The skull spider attacked with its laser beam, which struck Li in his torso. He fell to the ground and, to Sakura's horror, started bleeding.

"LI, NO!!"

Sakura couldn't understand it. She had done everything she could to prevent this from happening. She thought that by not telling Li about any of this, he wouldn't be in the line of fire. But keeping her dream a secret was all for naught. Li still got to Penguin Park…and he was still bleeding…almost dying.

Sakura felt herself being picked up and pushed away, along with her brother, towards an unknown destination.

The cloaked one spoke. "Now…we go…to the Digital World!"

_~* Digital World? What IS that? *~_

* * *

She continued to wait by the pond, but something happening out in the distance got Kari looking towards her left. It was a pair of screams. First it was a female shriek, then a male howl of agony. It definitely got her attention.

"What do you think that was, Kari?" Gatomon asked from up in the tree.

"I…don't know," Kari answered. "Sounds like someone's being mugged."

"You think we should check it out?"

Kari knew Davis wanted to meet her here, but her curiosity was getting the better of her. "Yeah. Let's go."

Gatomon leaped down from the tree and right into Kari's arms. She pointed forward. "It came from over there."

Hoping no one would see her holding Gatomon, Kari ran towards the source of the screams. Maybe it wouldn't take too long. She could always meet up with Davis later, but it sounded like someone was in need of help. Kari had to check it out.

She kept on running, but stopped upon hearing agonizing moans of pain. Kari walked slower to make sure she was going the right way, never noticing how big Penguin Park really was. The moans got louder, meaning she was getting closer. So Kari began to speed up. Then she found the source.

There was a young man, about Kari's age, lying on the ground. He was wearing unusual green robes and there was a sword on the ground next to him. She looked on the ground to see blood staining the grass. He was clutching his side, trying to hold onto a deep wound. Kari immediately thought someone attacked him with that sword, but there was no blood on it, so that couldn't be the case. It had to be something else.

Gatomon jumped and ran up another tree before Kari slowly approached this pained person. She felt pity for him and wanted to help him.

"You need help," Kari said. "Let me get you to a hospital."

"No…" he moaned. "S-Sakura…"

He couldn't get out another word. The young man fainted. Kari gasped and immediately knew it would be up to her to get him the help he needed.

Kari looked up a nearby tree. "Gatomon, don't just hide there! Help me!"

"What if he wakes up?" Gatomon asked.

"I don't think he's waking up anytime soon," Kari said grimly. "He needs a hospital. Help me carry him."

Gatomon reluctantly came down from the tree and walked towards the wounded boy. Kari and Gatomon each picked him up by one arm and started dragging the unconscious boy out of the park.

"Kari, where did you park?" Gatomon asked.

"I don't think the car's too far from here," Kari answered. "Let's get him there."

With a somewhat solid plan in mind, Kari and Gatomon kept dragging this person towards Kari's car. It was times like this Kari wished her mom had given her a cell phone, because this meant she'd have to leave. And that meant Davis wouldn't find anyone when he got to Penguin Park.

* * *

After an excruciatingly long walk, Davis could go no further. He had arrived at the entrance to Penguin Park, but stopped at a bench and put his backpack down.

"I'm not THAT heavy, am I?" DemiVeemon asked from inside the backpack.

"But I can only carry you for so long," Davis moaned. "I knew I should have hit the gym more often."

"Running those extra laps would have helped, too," DemiVeemon chimed in.

"Ok, I get the point," Davis growled. "Just…give me a few minutes."

Davis wanted to take a quick break, but knew he couldn't take too long. Kari was already waiting for him and Davis couldn't keep her waiting much longer, otherwise it would hurt his chances. He already wasn't sure the odds of getting a date with her were in his favor after the many events of the past few years. He didn't want to make things any worse. Especially since Kari might still be recovering from the day she and TK…

Shrugging off his weariness, Davis got to his feet and reached for his backpack. Suddenly, Davis noticed someone familiar out in the distance. It was that same girl he bumped into earlier, the one in the trench coat and purple blouse, and she was coming closer. She was looking for someone.

"Li! Sakura! Where are you guys?!"

Davis' curiosity was starting to get the better of him. He walked towards this girl and stood in front of her. "Um…hi. Remember me? Are you…looking for someone?"

The girl was startled upon turning to see Davis. "Oh…hi. I'm…just looking for my friends, they're missing. Have you seen a girl with auburn hair, I don't know what she's wearing, but she's got short auburn hair and she's got the cutest emerald green eyes. Have you seen her?"

Davis shook his head. "I haven't seen anyone like that."

"Then what about a guy in green robes?" the girl asked. "You can't miss him. They're ceremonial family robes. Have you seen him?"

"I haven't seen him either," Davis said apologetically.

The girl moaned. "Oh…thanks anyway. But I've got to go and find them."

The girl ran off in a hurry, leaving Davis alone with his backpack again. Davis just blinked.

_~* A guy in green robes? Weird. Must be her boyfriend or something. *~_

"Maybe we should help her," Davis' backpack suggested.

"I'd love to, DemiVeemon," Davis said dryly. "But I've already kept Kari waiting. She's gonna be mad at me. I have to meet her now."

With that, Davis picked up his backpack and made that long walk down Penguin Park. Once more, he felt the weight of his Digimon companion pressing down on his back, but he didn't care. He would do whatever he had to do to meet Kari and he couldn't just leave DemiVeemon behind. So Davis kept walking and promising himself he'd hit the gym soon.

"Where DID you ask Kari to meet you?" DemiVeemon asked.

"I told her to meet me by the pond. There's a lone bench there and it's the perfect atmosphere."

"Sounds great. Good luck, Davis. Even AFTER what happened between Kari and TK…I always thought she liked him…but I'm sure she probably likes you."

"DON'T say that!" Davis snapped. He couldn't stand the thought of Kari passing him up for TK…again. If it ever happened, Davis would be torn apart. "I really hope you're wrong, DemiVeemon…because I really like Kari."

"Sorry, Davis. I didn't mean to make you nervous…uh…MORE nervous."

DemiVeemon made a good point. Davis could feel the sweat running down his temples and he didn't need the odor of his sweat filling the air while he was around Kari. So he made a quick stop and opened his backpack.

A blue hand reached out and handed Davis his cologne. "Looking for this?"

Davis sweatdropped. "Thanks." He quickly sprinkled the refreshing fragrance all over himself and handed it back to DemiVeemon.

The blue hand went back in and reached out again holding a small roll. "Mint?"

Davis sweatdropped again. "Thanks." He took a mint and stuffed it in his mouth.

The blue hand went back in and reached out again. This time with a mirror. "Is your hair ok?"

Davis took the mirror and looked into it. He didn't like what he saw, since he thought he saw a some hair out of place. As if reading his mind, the blue hand of DemiVeemon came out again.

"Comb?"

Davis took the comb and adjusted his hair and passed it back. "Ok, that's enough. I'm serious, DemiVeemon. I can't keep Kari waiting." Before DemiVeemon could reach out with something else, Davis closed his backpack. He picked up and went on his way again.

After what felt like an eternity, Davis finally reached the pond. The moonlight shone down upon the water and it would have made for a positively romantic scene. But there was one thing that was missing. And that was…

…Kari.

Davis stood there in amazement. "Kari…isn't here."

"Maybe she's late, too," DemiVeemon piped up from inside Davis' backpack.

Davis breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah…that must be it. She's just late…like me. She'll be here."

Davis just sat on that lone bench and waited for Kari Kamiya to arrive.

* * *

Sakura couldn't see where she was being taken. She could see they had arrived towards the exit of Penguin Park and all she saw…was a truck, an eighteen-wheeler. Sakura and Tori were stuffed in the back.

"Who's driving?" the ape asked.

"Don't look at me," the spider growled. "It's not like I have hands."

"I'LL drive!" the cloaked one said. "You two just keep an eye on these two. They are vitally important. With them…we shall resurrect our master."

Sakura and Tori were both thrown in the back of the truck and the ape and skull climbed in. Sakura had to get answers now.

"What are you?!"

The cloaked one climbed in and walked up to Sakura. He got in her face. "That's Savagemon, that's Psychomon, and I am Sinestromon. We are three Digimon…looking to restore our master."

Sakura didn't understand any of this. "Digimon?"

"She's magical, yet she doesn't know about us or our kind," Savagemon the ape thing said.

Sinestromon let out a nefarious chuckle. "She'll soon learn. She'll know about us once we reach the Digital World."

Sakura still didn't understand one thing. What WAS this Digital World they were talking about? But Sakura was worried about something else.

Was Li ok? And was he even alive?

  


Next Time: We know these three evil Digimon are taking Sakura and Tori to the Digital World, but how are they getting there? Can Kari get Li to the hospital? When will Davis realize that Kari won't show up? Will Madison find ANYBODY? And who else will get into this story? Come back next time to find out!

  


Dedicated to my friend from New York. You know who you are. ^_~

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!


	4. The Kindness Of Strangers

Last Time: Sakura's dream came true and, much to her dismay, Li WAS put in harm's way. Sakura and Tori were taken by three evil Digimon and Li was left for dead. But he was discovered by DigiDestined Kari Kamiya and she and Gatomon decided to get him to a hospital. Meanwhile, Davis Motomiya arrives at Penguin Park and wonders where Kari is while Madison searches everywhere for Sakura and Li. What happens next?

  


**Keeping Secrets: Part 4**

  


"Finally, we're here!"

Kari couldn't get to the hospital fast enough. The young man in the back seat had fainted and he looked to be getting worse. He needed help and Kari wanted to get him the help he needed. As soon as Kari stopped the car in the hospital's parking lot, she looked towards the back seat and gasped.

"Gatomon, is he breathing?!" she asked desperately.

Gatomon put a finger on the guy's neck. "He's still got a pulse, so he's definitely alive. But I don't think he can last much longer. He got blood all over your back seat."

Kari frowned. "And I just got those seats upholstered. AAH! What am I saying?! This is serious! Oh…Gatomon, help me get him out of the car!"

"Kari…"

"Oh, that's right. Someone will see you. I guess…I'll have to take him myself. Just stay here and make sure no one sees you."

"Can I at least have the radio on?"

"GATOMON!!"

"Sorry. Never mind."

Kari was sweating profusely from the sudden panic. She was never put in the middle of such a situation before. Despite being a DigiDestined, her friends never had to be taken to the hospital…not in THIS condition. This guy's life lay in Kari's hands and that scared her. She didn't want to be responsible if he died because she couldn't get him to the hospital in time. She didn't want to think how his family and friends would react to hearing he died because a simple girl like her couldn't get him the help he needed.

Kari opened the backdoor and dragged the boy out. He fell limp and Kari struggled to lift him onto his feet. He was alive, yet he felt so lifeless. Kari put one of his arms over her shoulder she slowly carried him towards the entrance. She got a lot of stares from the people around her, but none of them bothered to help.

The automatic doors slid open and Kari dragged the boy in towards the front desk.

"What is this?!" the clerk asked.

"He needs help!" Kari shouted.

"Um…what's his name?"

"I don't know!"

"What's wrong with him?"

"Um…deep wound in his torso."

"How did this happen?"

"I don't know!"

"Is he insured?"

"How should I know?!"

"Well, don't you know this person?"

"No! I just found him on the ground! I don't know who he is!"

"Does he have any ID on him?"

"I…I don't know!"

"So you just happened to find him? With a wound that deep? Sounds a little preposterous."

"This isn't about me!" Kari snapped. "Get him some help! HE'S GONNA DIE!!"

The clerk calmly shrugged and pressed a button on her intercom. "We've got a young Chinese male bleeding from the torso. Looks to be serious. We need a stretcher and we'd better get him up to ER."

Quickly, a stretcher came down and two paramedics loaded the boy onto it. They wheeled the boy into the ER, leaving a very concerned Kari by herself.

"Will he be ok?" Kari asked.

"We'll do whatever we can," the clerk answered.

At that point, Kari should have left. The doctors could have easily done their job and the guy should be fine. Yet Kari couldn't bring herself to leave. Instead, she walked towards the waiting room.

* * *

"Yue, where are you taking us?"

Kero, still in his false form, flew right behind his good friend, but was shaking his head. They hadn't found Sakura yet, but Kero noticed Yue was taking a detour. He was heading in a completely different direction.

"Penguin Park's THAT way!" Kero added.

"And I'm going this way," Yue said calmly. "Maybe someone else can help us find Sakura."

Kero sweatdropped. "Um…are you thinking of…?"

Yue nodded. "Let us go and ask Eriol.***** Perhaps he knows of the mistress's whereabouts."

Finally, Kero could see where they were going. He knew the familiar sight of Eriol's apartment. He was skeptical, but maybe Yue was right. Maybe Eriol would know where Sakura was.

Yue flew towards Eriol's window and tapped on the glass. "Anybody home?"

The window flew open and a familiar woman answered. "Yue? We don't see you around much anymore. How's it going?"

"We need to speak with your master, Ruby," Yue replied. "Is he in?"

"Sure!" Ruby smiled. "Come on in!"

Yue and Kero flew in and landed on the ground. Ruby led them into the living where Eriol was sitting on his couch and Spinner was calmly floating in the air reading a book.

"This is an unexpected pleasure," Eriol said. "What brings you here, Yue?"

"Sakura is missing and we need to find her quickly," Yue answered. "I'm sure you know of the entire situation."

Eriol nodded. "I heard about the dream Sakura's been having. I can't blame you for wanting to find her. I wish I could help you, Yue, but I have no idea where she is."

Something rang in Kero's head. "Wait…YOU know about the dream?"

Eriol smirked. "You didn't REALLY think Madison could keep a secret from ME, did you?"

Kero sweatdropped. "Good point."

Eriol got to his feet. "We'd better find her."

Ruby blinked. "That was sudden. Something wrong, master?"

"I sense something's wrong," Eriol said in his deep voice. "Something terrible has happened. We have to find Sakura NOW. I feel as if she's in danger."

Yue turned towards Kero. "You see?"

"It does us no good to blame each other, Yue," Eriol said. "What we need to do is find Sakura. Let's go." He looked at his two guardians. "Maybe you two could help. Ruby, cover the air with Yue. Spinner, you and Kero can come with me."

Spinner sighed as he put his book down. "This is gonna be one of THOSE nights, isn't it?"

Ruby grinned. "It IS a nice night for flying." Then she transformed into her true form, Ruby Moon.

Both Yue and Ruby Moon flew out the window. Spinner flew into Eriol's pocket. Taking a cue, Kero flew into Eriol's other pocket. Eriol walked towards the closet and searched through his things.

"I'll only be a few seconds," Eriol said. "But as soon as I have everything I need, we'll go out and look for Sakura. I just hope we get to her first before something bad happens."

Kero felt distressed. If Eriol's sense was accurate, and it almost always was, then Kero had failed Sakura. Yue was right. He should have been by her side through this whole thing.

Now Kero could only hope Sakura was ok.

* * *

"She's not coming, is she?"

Davis hung his head down and sighed deeply. It had been a few hours and there was no sign of Kari anywhere. It didn't look like she was coming.

"Davis, I'm sure she didn't stand you up," DemiVeemon said comfortingly from Davis' backpack.

"You really think so?"

"Of course I do. If anything, she probably left because you left her waiting too long."

Davis fell over anime-style. "That doesn't make me feel better, DemiVeemon!"

"Sorry," DemiVeemon said sheepishly.

Davis wanted to get up to leave. He had given up. This hadn't gone the way he hoped. It was all supposed to go so perfectly, but without Kari there, it didn't work at all. But before Davis picked up his backpack, a familiar voice rang out.

"Sakura! Li! Where are you?!"

It was her again. It was that same girl in the trench coat and purple blouse. She was STILL looking for her friends. Davis suddenly had a thought.

_~* Well…I don't want to think I came all the way out here for nothing. I might as well help. Besides…if I could help someone in need…it might impress Kari! *~_

Davis stepped in front of the girl again. "No luck?"

The girl shook her head. "I can't find them anywhere. I have to find them! But they aren't here! I…"

"Hey, calm down. Maybe…I can help you?"

The girl blinked. "That's so nice of you…but I couldn't ask you to do that."

"It's no problem," Davis smiled. "You look like you could use a second set of eyes and I'd be more than happy to help."

"Oh…thank you," the girl smiled.

Davis reached out for a handshake. "It's my pleasure. My name's Davis."

The girl accepted it. "I'm Madison. Thank you so much, Davis."

"It's no trouble at all," Davis said confidently. "So are you sure your friends are here?"

Madison winced. "Well…to be honest…I'm really not sure. But I had a hunch that they'd both be here."

"So where else do you think they might be?"

Madison gulped. "If they're here…they'll both be in danger. But if they're anywhere else, they'll be fine. It's…hard to explain. I really can't explain it."

"You don't have to tell me," Davis said coolly. "I'm just happy to help you find your friends, whatever the reason may be. And with me on your side, you can be sure that they'll be found."

Madison sighed. "I just can't believe you'd do all this out of the goodness of your heart."

"Oh are you kidding? I do this sort of thing all the time."

"Oh brother," Davis' backpack muttered. Davis gave it a soft kick.

Davis picked up his backpacked and lugged it on his back. "Well…let's go. I'm sure they can't be too far. Do they have a phone or anything."

Madison gasped. "I can't believe I didn't think of that before!" She pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number. She moaned impatiently and hung up. "No answer." Then she dialed another number. She waited for an answer. "He's not answering, either!"

"You must have been panicked if you didn't think of calling them," Davis blurted out.

"You haven't lived my life," Madison snapped. "You don't know what it's like to be REALLY panicked."

"You don't know me very well, do you?" Davis shot back. "But this isn't about me. We'd better find your friends. With me at your side, it shouldn't take too long. Now let's go THIS way!" Davis valiantly pointed forward, while Madison frowned and went the other way.

"You don't know this place well, do you? If you did, you'd know that going THAT way leads straight to the exit."

Davis sweatdropped. "I knew that."

Davis let Madison lead the way, especially since he didn't know Penguin Park like he led others to believe he did. Madison was obviously a native of Reedington and she must have known her way around the park. Any of his other friends would wonder why Davis would help this stranger find her friends, but Davis knew full well why he was doing it.

Because such an act of kindness was sure to impress Kari.

* * *

Sakura felt the truck moving. She couldn't keep her eyes off of the two creatures before her, though, so she hardly noticed. She still wasn't sure what these three wanted with her and Tori. This wasn't supposed to happen. Sakura and Tori had revealed their secrets, but now they were being taken. But for what reason?

"Where are you taking us?" Tori demanded.

"We are taking you two to our realm of the Digital World," the one called Savagemon answered. "And there you will use your powers to restore our master."

"But how did you know about us?" Sakura asked.

Psychomon cackled. "Because we've been watching you, Sakura Avalon. Shortly after our master was defeated, we knew our mission was to find a magic source to restore him. And then we witnessed the strange happenings in Reedington that occurred seven years ago. We watched you closely, but later on we also noticed your brother. Your combined magic should be more than enough to restore our master."

"I hate to disappoint you," Tori began. "But…"

Savagemon covered Tori's mouth with his huge hand. "We won't be the ones disappointed, because we'll be getting our master back. And once he comes back, he'll finished what he started."

"But who IS your master?" Sakura demanded.

Before Sakura could get an answer, the truck stopped. The back doors opened and Sakura once again looked into the hideous face of Sinestromon.

"We've arrived at the clock tower, our main destination," Sinestromon announced.

"Why the clock tower?" Tori asked boldly.

"Because it is here that the people will see the portal to the Digital World open," Sinestromon answered. "And they will know to prepare to meet the new ruler of the real AND Digital worlds."

Sakura and Tori were taken out of the truck and they were taken into the old clock tower. Most of the tower had been repaired from the damage done to it five years ago, but it was still rickety at best. Then they were taken to the top of the tower, overlooking the city of Reedington. Sinestromon reached out with a hand…

…and a portal began to open before Sakura's very eyes.

  


Next Time: How can anyone NOT notice this? The question is, where IS everybody? How's Li doing? Who is this master that the three evil Digimon are referring to (followers of the series should easily know the answer to that)? And will he be restored to create chaos? One more thing…is there one more DigiDestined that happens to be wandering in Reedington? (Readers of my Digimon stories KNOW who's coming next)

*****- Readers of 'Want You Bad' KNOW my stance on Eriol's dub name. It's the ONE dub name I will NEVER use and I stick by that!

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.


	5. The Way Into Darkness

Last Time: Kari and Gatomon rushed to get Li to the hospital. Li was taken to the ER while Kari was bombarded with questions. Davis and Madison joined up to search for Sakura and Li and started scouring Penguin Park. Kero and Yue arrived at Eriol's apartment and the incarnation believed danger was ahead, so Yue flew off with Ruby Moon while Eriol got ready to do his own search on foot. And Sakura and Tori were taken to the old clock tower…where Sinestromon was about to open a portal to the Digital World.

  


**Keeping Secrets: Part 5**

  


It was just another night on the job for eighteen-year-old TK Takaishi. He had taken this job to help make ends meet while he put himself through school and that meant he was out on the road again. TK was driving down a Reedington street in his car…making pizza deliveries. Never in his wildest dreams did TK picture himself delivering pizza, but that was certainly the case these days.

It seemed like an eternity, but TK checked his directions and found that he had found the right address. So he parallel parked between two cars and looked to the back seat to find his two pizzas…and a sleeping Patamon. He was peacefully snoozing next to the pizzas and TK could almost see a snot bubble come out of the little Digimon's nose.

TK let Patamon sleep and he picked up the two pizzas. He walked towards the apartment door and was about to call the apartment number when someone came dashing out. It was a boy about his age, wearing glasses and blue robes. He was running out until he stopped and turned to face TK.

"I'm sorry," the boy said. "Are those by any chance our pizzas?"

TK blinked. "The order says 'Two cheese pizzas' for someone named…Ruby?"

The boy shook his head. "I'm sorry, Ruby's had to step out and I'm afraid I have to leave as well. I can pay you for the pizzas but you'll have to eat them yourself."

"Actually, that won't be a problem," TK chuckled. "I know someone who'll eat both of these without a second thought…as soon as he wakes up."

The boy smiled. "Then let me pay you right now." The boy handed TK his payment and tip and quickly dashed away.

TK watched as the boy ran away and just stood there holding his payment. He found it rather strange that this guy would just run off in a hurry, but TK wouldn't ask any questions. He had his payment AND some pizzas. So he calmly walked back to his car. He placed the pizza next to Patamon and the little sleeping Digimon's ears went up as he smelled the food.

"Another delivery, TK?" Patamon asked.

"Actually, these are yours," TK grinned. "The guy had to leave so he just left me the money AND the pizzas."

"Really?" Patamon asked cheerfully. "All right!"

TK walked to the driver's seat as Patamon wasted no time in indulging himself. He was about to open the driver's side door…when he noticed something in the sky…around the clock tower. It looked VERY familiar…and TK felt something turn in his stomach.

"Patamon…?"

Patamon kept pigging out. "Can't talk…eating…"

"Look up there!"

Patamon stuck his head out of the backseat window and looked up at the sky also. He saw exactly what TK was seeing. It was like the sky around the clock tower was opening.

Patamon recognized what was on the other side of the hole. "Hey! That's the Digital World! That…doesn't look like a FRIENDLY part of the Digital World."

"Where have I seen that before?" TK mused.

The other side of the hole looked very dark and gloomy. He could see waves of water and a black sky. There was a creepy fog engulfing the entire place. It looked vaguely familiar to TK and he knew it was something he should have remembered. But it looked like a part of the Digital World he hadn't seen for a VERY long time.

But Patamon finally recognized it. "That's the Dark Ocean!"

TK almost kicked himself for forgetting the one and only Dark Ocean. He would never forget the time Kari was sucked in…and he would never forget how close he came to losing her to those creepy shadow creatures who wanted her to be their queen. The Dark Ocean could not be mistaken. He saw the dark black and white atmosphere. There was no color whatsoever.

"What's going on?" TK asked. "How is that happening?"

The Dark Ocean tried to claim Kari many times. It had brought Kari endless grief for the past six years. But never would a portal to the Dark Ocean actually open. This had to be something different. Something else was happening. Something that he couldn't explain.

But that wouldn't stop TK from trying to find out. He rushed to the driver's seat and quickly started his car.

"Where are we going, TK?" Patamon asked, despite knowing the answer.

"We're going over there," TK answered. "We're going to see what's going on."

And with that…TK drove off, nearly running a red light, and sped off towards the source of the portal. The portal that was hanging in the sky above the clock tower in Reedington.

* * *

Kari patiently sat on the bench in the waiting room. She was starting to forget why she was even in Reedington in the first place. All she was concerned with was this boy she had brought to the hospital. She wanted to know if he was ok.

Finally, one of the nurses came into the waiting room. "Excuse me, young lady. Are you the one who brought the Chinese boy in?"

Kari nodded. "Yes I am. Is he ok?"

"We've managed to bandage the wound and he is expected to make a full recovery. However, he lost quite a bit of blood, so he'll need to stay overnight for a transfusion."

Kari's face brightened. "So…he'll be ok?"

"He'll be just fine," the nurse answered. "He says he wants to see you."

"He…wants to see me?" Kari asked. "Oh…sure…I guess."

Kari stood up and let the nurse lead the way. The nurse led Kari through to the elevator that took them up to the hospital's third floor. Kari was then walked through the long hallway where each room's door was open. Visitors filled each room to capacity and the patients were happy to see them. Finally, Kari was led into the only empty room that held the Chinese boy she brought in. The nurse walked out and left the two alone.

The boy looked at Kari with emotionless amber eyes. "You're the one who brought me here?"

Kari nodded. "I…found you at the park…with your sword. I saw you were bleeding…"

"My sword! Where is it?"

Kari gulped. "I-In my car. It's still there and I'll let you have it as soon as they let you out."

The boy's expression changed to a somber one, likely out of seeing the uneasiness in Kari's face. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm just…well…I can't stay. I have to go!"

"Not in your condition you can't!" Kari protested. "You still need a transfusion."

"I can't stay here!" he argued. "I have to save my girlfriend!" He tried to get up, but ended up falling back and moaning.

"You can't even move!" Kari exclaimed. "See? You HAVE to stay here! Look…I'm sure your girlfriend will be fine."

"You don't have any idea, do you?!" the boy demanded. "You don't know what I saw!"

"It's ok," Kari said comfortingly. "I'm sure it's not that bad. Look…why don't you tell me all about it?"

"Well…for one thing, I don't even know you."

Kari smiled. "Then why don't we get to know each other? My name's Kari."

The boy looked a little reluctant, but finally loosened up. "My name's Li. Thank you for saving my life…Kari." He fell back and moaned again. "Oh…I feel lightheaded."

"Losing all that blood will do that to you," Kari responded.

But that's when Kari, herself, started moaning. She started to sense something familiar…a feeling she dreaded. It was a feeling that often sent chills down her spine. It was a feeling…of darkness. And she felt the darkness was reaching out for her. It was the feeling…that the Dark Ocean was trying to take her again.

For many years, Kari had tried to fend off the darkness of the Dark Ocean. The inhabitants of that horrible place wanted her to be their queen. And no matter how much Kari tried to resist, it felt like the darkness would just keep coming back…and reaching for her. It felt like the Dark Ocean was reaching out for her again. But this felt different. It felt as if the force was growing STRONGER…and Kari sensed something was coming from outside.

"What's with you?" Li asked. But his voice sounded so distant. Kari could already see the black and white fog surrounding her.

Kari wandered over to the hospital window and looked outside. She gasped in horror over what she saw. A portal was opening up in the sky. It was barely noticeable, but it was getting bigger. And Kari could already make out what was on the other side. It was the Dark Ocean. Just the sight of it brought fear to Kari's heart.

Without hesitation, Kari rushed to the head of Li's hospital bed and sat down. She quickly closed her eyes and hugged her legs. She felt herself shivering. She was in a deep state of fear. The Dark Ocean had tried to claim her many times, but NEVER had a portal actually opened to try and take her away.

"Kari…what is it?" Li asked. "Answer me!"

"Please don't let them take me!" Kari pleaded. "I don't want to go back!"

"Go back where? What's going on?"

Kari clutched her head. "Oh…I can't take it! I can feel the darkness!"

Li put his hand on Kari's shoulder. "Kari…it's ok. There's nobody else here. Nobody's going to take you anywhere."

Kari looked up to see that even in his confusion, Li was still apparently willing to stand by her side. She appreciated it, but in her heart, Kari knew he was just a regular boy. He couldn't defend her from the forces of the Dark Ocean. No one could.

All Kari could do was keep her eyes closed and try to fight the darkness.

* * *

Davis couldn't deny it. Still in Penguin Park, he couldn't deny that he still had no idea where he was going. He was definitely lost in this place and he just let this girl, Madison, keep leading the way. But as quickly as they were going, that's how quickly they stopped. There was silence and no movement.

Madison looked up at the sky and gasped. Davis, unable to figure out what was going on, scratched his head.

"Why'd we stop?" Davis asked. "Did you get lost, too?"

Madison pointed up. "Up there!"

Davis looked to the sky…and saw what looked like a portal opening. He couldn't make out what it led to…but he had a vague idea. He hadn't seen anything like it since seven years ago when the evil Daemon did something similar. As the portal grew bigger, Davis started to piece together what it led to. And the thought horrified him. It was a portal to the Dark Ocean.

The Dark Ocean had tried to claim Kari many times in the past. But she was always able to stay out of its reach. But it had never come to this extreme before. The Dark Ocean had never actually opened a portal to try and take Kari. Davis couldn't stand the thought of the Dark Ocean coming for Kari again. He knew he had to do something about it, but to his surprise, Madison was already heading out.

"It's coming from the Clock Tower!" she shouted.

Davis was caught off-guard. "Wait! You KNOW about this?!"

Madison didn't answer and started running out. "SAKURA!!"

Davis knew there was more to this than met the eye. So he followed Madison out…hoping to get some answers soon.

* * *

Yue and Ruby Moon had scouted the entire area of Reedington from the sky, but there was no sign of Sakura anywhere. And Yue was starting to lose touch with her. He still sensed she was nearby…but he also sensed great evil.

"Yue! Up there!"

Yue looked ahead around the vicinity of the clock tower to see that a portal was opening up from the sky. And what laid on the other side didn't look particularly inviting. It looked like a world of darkness, shrouded in fog with no color at all.

"I guess it HAS been a while since we've been treated to anything weird," Ruby Moon sighed.

"We had better investigate," Yue said. "I sense that the Mistress is there."

Ruby Moon sweatdropped. "What was your first clue?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Never mind," she shrugged.

Yue also shrugged. He sensed that another sarcastic or humorous remark flew over his head. But there was no time to worry about that. It was time for action.

The two guardians changed direction and started flying towards the clock tower, hoping they would find Sakura there. But Yue continued to sense that great evil. And the sense was growing stronger. He could only hope that Sakura (and possibly even Tori, if he was there) would be ok.

* * *

Sakura looked on as the evil 'Digimon' Sinestromon continued working his evil magic on the sky above Reedington. The portal he was opening was growing bigger and Sakura didn't like what was waiting on the other side. It was a world of pure darkness with no signs of color or light.

She couldn't take much more of this. She desperately tried to free herself, but it was to no avail. These 'Sinister Ice Rings' left her arms and legs completely immobile. She looked over to see that Tori couldn't move, either. The Avalon siblings were both stuck.

"This portal leads to our world: The Digital World," Sinestromon said. "But for our master to be restored, we cannot just venture to ANY part of the Digital World. We need an environment where he will thrive and be able to make a full recovery before fulfilling his wish of ruling both the Real AND Digital Worlds. That area…is the Dark Ocean."

"So what are we waiting for?" Psychomon sneered. "Let's go already!"

The strong Savagemon picked up Sakura and Tori and started dragging them towards the clock tower. It looked like Sinestromon was about to work some more magic, but he was quickly stopped by a large red crystal that was thrown to the ground. Sakura looked up and saw that help had finally arrived. It was Yue and Ruby Moon swooping down from the sky above.

"You shall release those two immediately!" Yue said boldly.

Savagemon dropped Sakura and Tori and took a step forward. "And what if we don't?!"

Ruby Moon chuckled. "Don't make us have to get rough with you. You have no idea what we're capable of."

"And you do not know what WE are capable of," Psychomon shot back. "Psycho Laser!"

The spider skull, Psychomon, unleashed his laser attack and before Ruby Moon could even react, she was knocked to the ground. The shot caught her off-guard and she was quickly taken down. And that left Psychomon and Savagemon to surround Yue.

"We are in no need of him," Sinestromon boomed. "Get rid of him!"

Savagemon raised his arm. "With pleasure! Savage Strike!"

Turrets materialized at the big one's wrists and two dark shots headed right for Yue. He wasn't hit completely, but the shots grazed him. But before Yue could recover and counterattack…

"Psycho Laser!"

Psychomon shot his laser attack at the trunk of a nearby tree. The tree collapsed…and fell on top of Yue.

Sakura gasped. "Yue, NO!"

It was too late. Yue was down and out and now there was no one else who could help her. Savagemon once again picked up Sakura and Tori and draped them over his massive shoulders.

Sinestromon chuckled. "Now that those two are out of our way…it is time to go."

Sinestromon waved his arm and they all started floating. They began to float towards the portal…and to who-knows-where. But before they went through the portal, Psychomon suddenly pointed to the ground with one of his eight legs.

"Hey, down there! Is that what I think it is?"

Sakura couldn't turn to see what was going on, but Sinestromon answered his question.

"It is. A DigiDestined. But he is too late."

And with that, everyone went through the portal.

* * *

TK quickly got out of the car and looked to the sky. He had arrived too late. The portal to the Dark Ocean was closing. And floating towards it were what appeared to be three evil Digimon. And one of them had two people over his shoulder. Before TK could even do anything, they were all gone and the portal was closed.

"What's…going on?"

  


Next Time: Sakura and Tori have been taken into the Dark Ocean. What happens there? And who can save them? Too many questions, but there's only one way to get the answers. YOU must come back next time!

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!


	6. Let's Get Acquainted

Last Time: Everyone looked up in the sky to see the portal to the Dark Ocean and everyone had their reactions. Davis and Madison rushed to investigate while TK and Patamon did the same. Kari, fearing that the Dark Ocean was reaching for her again, hid beside Li's bedside. Meanwhile, Savagemon and Psychomon subdued Yue and Ruby Moon, leaving them an opening to head for the Dark Ocean. And now, our story continues.

  


**Keeping Secrets: Part 6**

  


Davis tried his best to keep up, but this girl was running for dear life. Just by looking at Madison Taylor, he didn't think she could run so fast. Or maybe it was the tremendous weight that was hindering Davis' speed. The weight of his huge backpack that was holding DemiVeemon. But after a long few minutes, they had finally made it to the clock tower.

But by the time they made it there, the portal to the Dark Ocean had closed. And Madison fell to her knees and pounded her fist into the ground.

"Sakura!" she cried out again.

Davis walked over and put her hand onto her shoulder. "Um…is there something I should know?"

Madison looked up at Davis with wide eyes…as if she had just remembered she was looking into the face of a stranger. She didn't say anything.

"Davis?"

Davis looked around when he heard that familiar voice. It had to be one of the oddest places to meet him, but indeed he was there. It was his good friend, TK Takaishi, who came running up to him in his pizza delivery boy uniform.

"Davis…did you see what I saw?" TK asked.

Davis nodded. "It was a…" He stopped. He forgot…there was a stranger in their midst and he made sure to note that to TK with a tilt of his head.

"Who's this?" TK asked.

Madison turned around got to her feet. "My name's Madison."

TK was about to introduce himself, when Madison cut him off with a horrified gasp.

"YUE!"

Madison suddenly ran towards a fallen tree and knelt down. There was someone under that tree and Davis and TK decided to look and see who it was. The tree moved a few inches and someone came out from under the tree. Davis took a step back. It was a white-haired guy with huge angel's wings. But this was no Angemon. This was something else.

"Yue, what happened?" Madison asked.

"I was too late," the guy called Yue answered. "They took Sakura and Tori into that…portal. They said they were going to some place called…the Dark Ocean in the Digital World."

Davis and TK immediately exchanged glances upon hearing that. It couldn't be happening, but someone had opened up a portal to the Dark Ocean…but they didn't come for Kari. They came for someone else. There were a lot of questions going through Davis' mind now. But it was TK who spoke up.

"Did you say the Digital World?" TK asked.

Madison turned to the two boys and shot them a glare…as if she thought they had been hiding something from her. Davis didn't know what to make of any of this and decided to take a few steps back. But as he backtracked, he bumped into someone. Davis turned and stood looking at an angelic woman in red with butterfly wings.

"You two know something, don't you?" she demanded.

"Do you two KNOW about this?" Madison added.

Seeing Davis occupied with Madison and the woman in red, TK walked up to the guy with the wings.

"What did you see…uh…?"

"Yue. I am Yue. And I saw three evil creatures abducting my mistress and her brother and taking them into this 'Digital World'."

"What did they look like?" TK asked.

"One was a hairy, bulky creature with great strength. The second had eight legs like a spider and a large skull on top of them. And the other one wore a long cloak and an ugly mask. They looked most unusual."

TK looked over at Davis. "Three weirdoes going off to the Digital World. Why do I think this sounds like three evil Digimon?"

Davis only nodded. That had to be it. It sounded so out of the ordinary…that it couldn't POSSIBLY be anything else. But these descriptions didn't match those of any Digimon Davis had ever seen.

"Digimon…?" Madison asked curiously.

TK and Davis exchanged glances again. It looked like they said too much. Although Digimon had been coming to a select few, they weren't commonplace just yet. The world wasn't quite ready for them yet. The two boys began to wonder if they said too much.

"Guys…talk to me!" Madison snapped. "This isn't the time to be keeping secrets! My best friend and her brother are in danger!"

That was very true. Disaster could be just moments away and indeed the time for keeping secrets was NOT now. And Davis had known Madison for a whole…two hours. He knew he could trust her.

Davis scratched the back of his head. "Um…gee…where do I start…?"

* * *

Once they had finally arrived, Sakura looked around to see where she was. It was a very gloomy place, devoid of any color. The only colors present were those of the outsiders, namely Sakura, Tori, and those evil Digimon. Everything else was just black and white.

Sakura was still tied up and couldn't loosen the grip of the rings. If she could loosen SOMETHING, she could quickly take out her wand and dispose of these evil ones with the Sakura Cards. But there would be no such luck on this day…or night. With the black and white atmosphere, Sakura couldn't tell what time of day it actually was.

Sinestromon held out his hand as they all reached their apparent destination. "This will be sufficient. We will restore our master here. Drop them, Savagemon."

Savagemon dropped Sakura and Tori on the ground. Sinestromon started walking slowly towards Sakura as the Card Mistress could only ask her questions again.

"What do you want with me?!" Sakura demanded. "Why ME? Why TORI?"

"HEY!" another voice shouted.

Everyone turned to the cave to see someone emerging. It was a little purple creature with pointy ears, a red bandana around its neck, and red gloves on its hands. The little guy didn't look very happy to say the least.

"Who the heck invited you guys?!" the little creature demanded. "This is MY cave! And I don't take kindly to visitors! So you'd better get out of here before I decide to THROW ya out!"

"A little pipsqueak like you?" Savagemon scoffed. "Throw US out?"

"You don't know who you're messing with?" Psychomon added. "Who do you think you are?"

"I'm Impmon, the baddest Digimon you'll ever see! And if you know what's good for you, you'll find some other cave and GET OUT OF HERE!"

Psychomon cackled. "The little pipsqueak's threatening us! That's the funniest thing I ever heard!"

"Oh, you're gonna laugh, huh?" Impmon sneered. A flame formed at his fingertip. "I amuse you, do I? Maybe you'll find THIS something to laugh about. Bada Boom!"

Impmon tossed the flame, grazing Savagemon by the ear…setting it on fire. The big one started rolling around, trying to put his ear out.

"Consider that a warning shot!" Impmon growled. "And you losers won't get another one, so GET OUT! Don't make me have to mess ya up!"

"How annoying!" Sinestromon groaned. "Get rid of him! We have more important matters to attend to!"

Impmon leaped forward and faced off with Sinestromon. "Oh, more important, huh? You're just gonna ignore me, are ya? Don't think I'm worth your time, is that it?"

"WE'RE going to give you a chance to step away," the irritated Sinestromon said. "We're busy trying to restore our master!"

"Master?" Impmon scoffed. "Not around MY cave, you're not! Listen here, ugly! In case you haven't noticed, this area has a maximum occupancy of ONE. And that ONE is ME! So take your humans and move somewhere else! Or I'll wipe the floor with you AND your master!" The flame at his fingertip ignited again and he tossed it at Sinestromon. "Bada Boom!"

Sinestromon dodged the attack and shook his head. "This is pathetic. I've never seen such a weak Digimon…with such a big mouth. Psychomon, Savagemon, dispose of him!"

Savagemon walked over and picked Impmon up over his head. Impmon continued his uncanny barrage of insults and verbal threats while Psychomon calmly started digging a hole in the sand with his eight legs. Savagemon plopped Impmon in the hole while Psychomon calmly filled the hole like a dog burying his bone. Impmon's whole body was buried…with the exception of his head.

"You guys are gonna be sorry! Now I'm REALLY MAD! You just wait 'til I get out of here! I'm gonna barbecue the whole lot o' ya! Ya can't keep me here forever! You just wait and see!"

"This just keeps getting weirder," Tori muttered under his breath.

With all that was happening, Sakura could hardly keep up. She had seen a lot in her lifetime, but she had never actually been taken to another world before. And she had never seen a place as…depressing as this Dark Ocean was.

Sinestromon turned his attention back to Sakura. "Now that THAT unpleasantness is out of our way, let's continue…shall we?"

Sinestromon grabbed Sakura and pushed her away from Tori, knocking her to the ground. He looked on with his evil masked face and Sakura could only imagine what he wanted. She had a vague idea.

"So…where are those cards of yours?"

* * *

It took a long while, but Madison listened intently to the entire explanation. And if Sakura's life was weird, then this had to be absolutely BIZARRE. Madison had seen a lot in her life, but yet she still couldn't bring herself to believe what she was hearing.

"So…what you're saying is…there's a whole world filled with…Digital Monsters?"

The boy in the white hat named TK nodded. "That's right. That's kinda how I reacted when I first saw it. Well…actually, I was eight at the time, so my reaction might have been a LITTLE different."

"I just can't believe what I'm hearing," Madison said softly. "So Sakura and Tori have been dragged into this world?"

Ruby Moon shook her head. "A world full of Digital Monsters? It sounds absurd."

"Yeah? Like a guardian woman with butterfly wings is so much more believable?!" Davis pointed out.

Ruby Moon shrugged. "Actually, guardians have no gender, but that's not the point. I'm just saying I'll believe in Digital Monsters when I see them."

As if on cue, Davis' backpack tipped over and the zipper started to open up. A little blue creature came rolling out of the backpack and the little guy gasped for a breath of fresh air. Madison couldn't believe it.

"I think he heard you," TK grinned.

"What IS that?" Yue asked curiously.

Davis walked over and picked the blue creature up. It had a nice, innocent little smile and Madison had to admit…the little guy looked cute.

"This is DemiVeemon," Davis answered. "And he's a Digimon."

"And he's not the only one here," TK added. "Patamon! Come on over here!"

Madison looked over to see something coming from the distance. It was a little white and orange creature with long ears that came flying into TK's arms. It was like the thing was some kind of pet.

"Hi, TK!" the thing called Patamon said cheerfully.

Ruby Moon blinked. "THESE are Digimon? Are you trying to tell me Sakura and Tori were taken by a trio of…these things?"

"They don't all come like DemiVeemon," TK clarified. "Some of the Digimon are really big. And a good number of them can be evil…like the ones that took your friends. But if our Digimon have enough energy, then they can get bigger, too. They can Digivolve."

Madison tilted her head. "Digivolve?"

TK looked over at Davis. "Davis, this might be a good time for a demonstration."

Hearing his cue, little DemiVeemon jumped off of Davis and bounced to an isolated spot.

****DemiVeemon…Digivolve to…Veemon!****

Before her very eyes, Madison saw DemiVeemon turn into a slightly bigger blue creature. But he was still half her size…yet he still had that ignorant smile on his face.

"Any more questions?" the one called Veemon asked.

"Just one," Madison answered. "WHERE did they take my friends?"

TK and Davis looked like they were about to answer…until they were all joined by one more who was just catching up. It was Eriol and it looked like he had done a lot of running, because he got there dead tired.

"I saw the portal," Eriol said. "And I got here as fast as I could. Ruby Moon, where are you?"

Ruby Moon walked up to Eriol. "I'm right here, master. But we're having a few issues at the moment."

"What kind of issues?" Eriol asked curiously.

Ruby Moon pointed behind Eriol. The reincarnation turned around to see…TK and Davis. While this alone was enough to cause confusion, it got worse, because an overzealous Kero flew out of Eriol's pocket.

"Hey, who are these guys?!" Kero demanded. "Yue, why are you letting them see you like this?!"

"Hey, I recognize you," Eriol told TK. "You're that pizza delivery boy."

Davis suddenly threw his hands up in the air. "Ok, TIME OUT! Who's the talking stuffed animal?!"

"Stuffed animal?!" Kero shouted. "Why you…!"

"Settle down, Kero," another voice calmly said. It was Spinner, who was coming out of Eriol's other pocket. "You never COULD watch your temper."

Davis' jaw just about dropped. "There's another one?"

"And who are you supposed to be?" Eriol asked…before noticing Veemon. "And WHAT…is THAT?"

Madison could literally see everything falling apart before her eyes. Confusion was running rampant now and even SHE was having a hard time believing this. It sounded like something out of one of Zachary's tall tales.

TK shook his head and threw his hands up. "Ok…I think it's best we start from the very beginning…unless there's SOMEONE ELSE who hasn't showed up yet?"

"This should be everybody," Madison replied. "You don't have to say anything, TK. I'll fill them in."

"That's good, Madison," TK smiled. "So I guess now you can tell us YOUR story."

Madison blinked. "My story?"

"There's a reason those three Digimon want your friends," TK explained. "And…Davis and I may have a few questions regarding your…unique friends."

Madison sweatdropped. "Well…"

Eriol held out his hand and spoke in his deep voice. "It's best if I explain this. After all, I should know the whole story better than anybody." He looked over at TK and Davis and decided to begin the VERY long explanation. "I guess I should begin by saying that…Sakura is no ordinary girl…"

* * *

Kari finally opened her eyes. The feeling of darkness that kept surrounding her was suddenly gone. She felt the grip that the Dark Ocean had on her start to loosen. And the short-haired young lady finally came to her senses. She stood up and walked towards the window. The portal she saw earlier was gone.

"It's gone," she said softly. She quickly fell to her knees as a tear hit the ground. "Thank goodness it's gone."

"What's the matter with you?" Li asked curiously. "Is there something I should know?"

Kari turned back and suddenly realized that she must have completely broken down in front of Li. She completely lost it in front of a stranger. And to say the least, it had to have looked VERY awkward. She hung her head down.

"I'm sorry, Li. You probably think I'm a total head case. I'll leave if you want…"

"No, it's ok," Li cut her off. "I don't think you're a head case. I've seen a lot weirder, trust me. But…what made you react that way?"

Kari looked out the window again. "I don't want to say. It's……………you wouldn't understand. It sounds so crazy."

"I've dealt with crazy before," Li said dryly. "Look, I don't know you very well, but I do know this sounds serious. Maybe it's best if you talk about it. No one can help you if you don't talk about it."

"Well…I still don't want to say anything," Kari muttered. "Besides…it's not like YOU'LL tell me YOUR problem."

"My problem?" Li repeated.

"There's a reason you were out there lying in a pool of your own blood," Kari clarified. "And it has something to do with some girl named 'Sakura'. And every time I ask you about what happened, you won't tell me anything. No one can help you if you don't talk about it."

Li was clearly taken aback by those words. It looked like Kari got to him…and it looked like he was finally ready to talk. Almost…

"You wouldn't believe a word of it…" he said.

Kari walked over and sat at the boy's bedside. "Try me."

"I guess there's always Erase," he mumbled under his breath. Then he shrugged. "Ok…I'll tell you. But you have to promise to keep this a secret…because I have to start at the very beginning."

Kari hesitated…then nodded.

Li began the long explanation. "My girlfriend, Sakura…is no ordinary girl…"

  


Next Time: Ok, now that our CCS and Digimon characters are getting acquainted, what happens next? What do the three evil Digimon intend to do with Sakura, Tori, and the Sakura Cards? Find out next time!

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!


	7. The Evil One Returns

Last Time: Everyone somehow converged by the clock tower and began to tell their stories. Our CCS characters learned about the world of Digimon while TK and Davis were just getting educated on Sakura and her world. Kari and Li are still in the hospital and are trading stories themselves. As for Sakura and Tori…they're still stuck in the Dark Ocean…where Sinestromon (after putting little Impmon in his place) is about to employ the rest of the evil plan.

  


**Keeping Secrets: Part 7**

  


Sakura was now being held in the air by the big lummox that was Savagemon. Still unable to move, Sakura couldn't fight back as Sinestromon prepared to unleash what was sure to be an unspeakable task.

"Leave her out of this!" Tori shouted again. "I told you! You can take me, but leave my sister alone!"

"Your time will come soon enough," Psychomon said dryly. "Come on, Sinestromon. Hurry up already. I want to see the master again. We've only seen him maybe…five minutes in our entire lifetime."

"It'll take practically no time at all," Sinestromon chuckled evilly. He raised his arms, but before doing anything…

"You guys just wait 'til I get out of here! You're gonna be sorry you EVER messed with me! I'm gonna fry ya all good! Nobody does this to me and gets away with it!"

"Is he STILL babbling?!" Sinestromon asked angrily.

Psychomon groaned as he treaded towards Impmon. The little purple creature still had his body buried in the sand, but his mouth was still going a mile a minute. Psychomon picked up a large rock with two of his front legs and stuffed it in Impmon's mouth.

"Shut your mouth already!" Psychomon screeched.

Sinestromon shook his head. "Oy, sometimes being an evil villain has its downsides. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes! We reach THAT moment. It is time for me to use the power handed to me by my master. With it, I shall use the power of your cards to restore him! Savagemon, put her down and come closer! You also, Psychomon!"

The big ape dropped Sakura, but she was still unable to move. The three evil ones gathered and Sinestromon unleashed a spell and a dark light began to surround them. Square bits of what looked to be digital data began to come off their backs and landed near them. The data all came together, but it was all blurry.

"I must hurry," Sinestromon said. "There isn't much time. POWER SHIFT!"

A large blast of magic came out of Sinestromon's hands and hit Sakura hard. The Sakura Cards started to come out of her pocket and they began to glow. Sakura saw the light from the cards start to move towards the data. As the power was transferred, the light from the cards faded and they fell lifeless to the ground. And as that happened, Sakura began to feel weaker. Her power was directly connected to the cards and if their power was gone, so was hers.

One by one, the cards began to lose their power and it began to go into the digital data. And as Sinestromon completed his deed, the digital data that was on the ground was taking the shape of another lifeform. Sakura finally fell to the ground and felt like she was about to faint. But before she passed out, she saw the three evil Digimon kneel before a fourth figure that had come to life.

It was almost humanlike figure, with a black cape and blue garment. A purple mask and fangs made him even appear…like a vampire. It was all Sakura could see before she lost consciousness…but not before Sinestromon bowed and greeted his master.

"Welcome back, master………**Myotismon**!"

* * *

Eriol sighed again. "So are we ALL clear now?"

Davis was still trying to understand everything. "So…there's a girl out there…who controls 52 magic cards…all handed down by a great sorcerer…and she has two guardians, one of which is a stuffed animal…and you're a reincarnation…and these are your guardians…and these are HER guardians…and you're all her friends?"

"Close enough," Eriol concurred.

TK looked over at Madison. "But…he never mentioned you."

"I don't have any special powers," Madison replied. "I'm just Sakura's best friend who carries around a camera. Nothing complicated."

"That's good, because this is all giving me a headache," Davis sighed.

"Information overload?" TK teased.

"Exactly!" Davis agreed.

"There's just one other important detail we're forgetting here," Madison said slowly.

"What's that?" TK asked.

"**WHERE DID THEY TAKE SAKURA?!?!**" she shouted at the top of her lungs. "**YOU HAVEN'T TOLD US THAT YET!!**"

Davis almost quivered in fear from the volume of Madison's voice. He turned to Eriol. "Does she ALWAYS get like this?"

"Actually, she doesn't," Eriol said calmly. "But you'd be surprised how passionate she can get over ANYTHING involving her best friend. So for your sake, I'd suggest you tell us where they might have taken our friends."

"I think I can answer that," TK began. "I recognized what was on the other side of that portal. It looked like a dark part of the Digital World known as the Dark Ocean. Whereas the rest of the Digital World is made up of people's dreams and digital data, the Dark Ocean is made up of peoples' dark thoughts. It's a world of total darkness. That's where they took your friends."

"Then can you get us there?" the yellow stuffed animal, Kero, asked.

"That might be a problem," TK answered.

"Why is that?" Yue asked.

"We've never BEEN to the Dark Ocean before," TK replied. "Not willingly, anyway. We've only been there maybe once…and that was by a VERY strange circumstance."

Davis disagreed. "What are you talking about, TK? We've opened a portal there before."

"When? I don't remember."

"You should! We sent Daemon there! We used our Digivices! Remember?"

There was a hesitation. Davis couldn't forget that day and he was surprised that TK would. It was the one time they've actually opened a portal to the Dark Ocean, so despite what TK thought, it WASN'T impossible.

"You think we can open a portal there with only two Digivices?" TK asked.

"What if we had three?" Davis responded.

"How can we get three Digivices here?" TK pointed out. "Everyone else is back in Odaiba."

"Not everybody," Davis said with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Then his face fell. He realized he could open up a whole new can of worms by saying…

"Davis…is there someone else in Reedington?" TK asked.

Davis gulped and hesitated before replying. "Um……………Kari."

TK's eyes widened. "Kari? What's Kari doing in Reedington?"

Davis hesitated again. He remembered what happened between TK and Kari. He remembered that the two broke up and their friendship had nearly fallen apart since then. If Davis told TK that he wanted to meet with Kari so she could ask her out, there was no telling how he would react.

Davis finally decided. It was best he tell the truth. "I……asked her to meet me here…so I can ask her out…on a date."

"You were going to ask her out?" TK asked in a low voice. It wasn't angry, but it almost sounded…threatening.

Davis nodded. "I'm sorry. I know you and Kari were really close over these last few years and…"

"Davis, you don't have to apologize," TK smiled. "If you want to ask Kari out, then go ahead. I don't have a problem with it."

"Really?" Davis asked cheerfully.

"Of course! Actually, it kinda works out better this way. I know Kari has to start going out again eventually and I'd rather she go out with a friend, then with a complete stranger. If she went out with a total stranger, now THAT would kill me."

"Tell me about it," Davis agreed. "Nobody knows Kari like we do. No stranger in the world can understand her like we do. No one else deserves her…"

"HELLO-O-O-O-O!!" Madison shouted. "Did you forget that we're in the middle of something serious?!"

Davis sweatdropped and smiled sheepishly. "Oh yeah! We can call Kari and have her meet us here. We have a better chance opening a portal with three Digivices than with two. I don't know if it'll work…but we have to try!"

Eriol rubbed his chin and looked to be deep in thought. "You know…if you can get these three Digivices here…I might be able to use my powers to give them a boost. It should be enough to open that portal."

"Then I'll call Kari right away," TK replied.

TK took out his cellular phone and began dialing Kari's phone. Everyone crossed their fingers. If Kari would answer her phone, then they would have that third Digivice. But more importantly, if Kari had Gatomon with her, then they would all be better prepared for whatever lied ahead. There were still three evil Digimon lying in the road ahead and Veemon and Patamon likely wouldn't be able to take all three of them. Especially if they were at either the ultimate or mega level.

Davis could only hope that Kari was ready for this unexpected fight.

* * *

Kari couldn't believe everything she had heard. It was like something out of a storybook or an anime. If she hadn't had so many adventures in the Digital World or seen so many things that would have previously been thought impossible, then Kari would have never believed this. But Kari had seen a lot in her lifetime, so she didn't judge this as a bold lie…just yet. But still…it sounded VERY farfetched.

"So…your girlfriend has…powers?" Kari asked softly, so that no one else would hear. She didn't have to talk very loud since she was sitting at Li's bedside.

Li nodded. "That's probably why she was taken. And when I got there, they attacked me…and nearly killed me."

Kari started to connect the dots. "That's where *I* found you. You were just attacked. Who did this to you, Li?"

"They looked like three monsters," Li answered. "And before I passed out, I heard them saying something about going to something called……the Digital World."

Kari gasped. It was starting to sink into her now. If they were going to the Digital World, then that meant these were three evil Digimon. And that HAD to be the reason she saw that portal open earlier. The Dark Ocean wasn't coming for her…but those three Digimon were going there. It relieved her…and worried her at the same time. Kari couldn't think of anything these three could be planning.

But Kari knew one thing. She had to tell Li what she knew about the Digital World. He needed to know what was going on.

"Li…there's something I should tell you…"

But that's when Kari felt a vibrating by her waist. It was her cellular phone. Kari picked it up and answered it.

"Hello?"

_"Kari? It's TK."_

"TK? What's up?"

_"Are you in Reedington right now?"_

"Um…yeah…why?"

_"Do you know where the clock tower is?"_

"The clock tower's pretty big. I think I can find it. TK, what's going on?"

_"Kari…something's happened. I can't really explain it all to you right now, but Davis and I need you down here. We need your Digivice."_

Kari DID know what was happening. "TK…does it all have to do with a girl named Sakura?"

_"………………………………………How did you know that?"_

"I'll explain everything when I get there. I'm on my way."

Kari quickly hung up her phone and got ready to go, but Li held onto her wrist.

"I heard Sakura's name. What is it? Tell me!"

"I can't really explain it to you right now," Kari replied. "But I have to go. I…know where she is."

Li tried to get up. "I'm going with you!" He desperately tried to get up, but he couldn't make it. "NO! I HAVE to go!"

"You can't get up like this," Kari said softly. "Look……I've only known you for a few hours…but I'm going to have to ask you to trust me. I know what I'm doing…and Sakura will be ok. I'll save her."

"But how? You don't know…"

"I know more than you think. The Digital World? The guys who took Sakura? I don't know who they are, but I know what to do. Li…trust me."

Li could only lie back, unable to get up. "If you DO know so much…then please do something!"

Kari started walking out. "I'll come back. And I promise I'll come back with Sakura."

Li still didn't look like he was willing to trust completely, but he hung his head down. "Good luck, Kari."

Kari nodded and turned to leave. She walked towards the hospital's exit and didn't look back. This would be a long night indeed.

* * *

Tori Avalon couldn't bear to watch any more. He had witnessed these…things leave his sister on the ground, nearly lifeless. And much to his amazement, he saw this…vampire thing come to life before his very eyes. If Tori hadn't seen so much in his lifetime, he almost would have sworn such a thing was impossible. But Tori knew better.

The thing called Myotismon paced around. "It feels good to be back. I feel refreshed. And all it took was the power of these magical cards…and their mistress. I knew I created you three for a reason. My ultimate backup plan."

"And it is good to see you back, master," Savagemon said. "But now that you ARE back, what will you do?"

"I may be refreshed, but there is only so much I can do in this form," Myotismon answered. "If I can get MORE power, then I will be able to Warp Digivolve into MaloMyotismon and pick up right where I left off. I shall take over the real AND Digital Worlds!"

"More power?" Psychomon repeated. "Isn't that why we brought the girl's brother?"

"The girl's brother also has magical powers of his own," Sinestromon added. "With your approval, master, we shall give his power to YOU so that you may Digivolve and take your place as ruler of both worlds."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Myotismon snapped. "Do it!"

Tori watched with a scowl as Sinestromon walked up to him and prepared to do the same thing he did to Sakura. But Tori knew something they didn't…

…and these evil Digimon were going to be in for a major disappointment.

  


Next Time: So…what happens when Myotismon discovers Tori has NO magical powers? Do our heroes venture into the Dark Ocean? Find out next time!

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!


	8. Entering The Dark Ocean

Last Time: Sinestromon used his Power Shift to transfer the power of the Sakura Cards into a pile of digital data that the three evil Digimon were carrying. The result was the resurrection of Myotismon! Meanwhile, our heroes are ready to venture into the Dark Ocean, but are only waiting on Kari. But while they wait for her, Sinestromon is ready to transfer Tori's power into Myotismon. There's only one problem with that…

  


**Keeping Secrets: Part 8**

  


Sakura was finally starting to come to, but she was still feeling extremely weak. But she raised her head just in time to see that Sinestromon was taking a familiar stance. It was the same one he used to just before he drained the Sakura Cards of their power. And this time, he was getting ready to strike down on Tori.

"Tori…no…"

"POWER SHIFT!"

Sinestromon unleashed his blast of magic on Tori, trying to transfer HIS power to the one called Myotismon. But something unexpected occurred. It didn't work. Nothing happened.

"Hey…I don't feel any stronger," Myotismon growled. "What's going on here?"

"I tried to tell you guys," Tori said calmly. "I don't HAVE powers anymore. I lost them seven years ago. I guess you three stooges didn't notice THAT part."

Sakura looked over at Tori. "When…?"

"You HAVE to be lying!" Psychomon chimed in. "You've boasted about your power to see into the spirit world many times! How could that just be GONE?!"

"I gave them to my best friend," Tori answered concisely.

"Who was that again?" Psychomon asked Savagemon.

"The other human he was always around," the big ape replied.

"No…he only LOOKS human," Sinestromon corrected. "The friend he has had an alternate form. He was the one who transformed into that guardian, Yue. It must be YUE who has that power!"

"Um…is that the same Yue we crushed with a tree?" Psychomon mused.

"I demand to see this Yue!" Myotismon shouted. "I gave you three simpletons life so you could bring me enough power to take over both worlds. All you've done is simply restore to my previous, obsolete form. Do the rest of your job and find me YUE!"

"I-I shall do that, sir," Sinestromon stammered.

Sinestromon turned around and attempted to open another portal back to the real world. But another unexpected event happened. Only sparks emitted from the evil one's hands. Nothing was opening.

"Now what?!" Myotismon demanded.

"Uh oh," Psychomon chirped. "He used up all his juice."

"This is what I get for creating inferior Digimon," Myotismon groaned. "You three are even more useless than Arukenimon and Mummymon! Hurry up and recharge! I'm a busy mon!"

Sakura still felt very weak and she wished she could get some of her energy back. She needed to do SOMETHING. These evil Digimon were about to go after Yue…

…and she couldn't just let that happen.

* * *

"What's taking her so long?" Davis asked.

Everyone was waiting anxiously for the one missing piece of the puzzle. Davis, in particular, was waiting apprehensively for Kari to show up with her Digivice and, hopefully, Gatomon.

After what felt like an eternity, another car pulled up to the side of the road. And out of the car…came Kari. Davis and TK immediately ran up to her, with Veemon and Patamon following along behind them.

"Are we glad to see you," Davis said in relief.

But there was only silence and Davis knew why. Kari and TK were both taken aback by each other's presence. The last thing the two were expecting on this night was to meet up with one another. Especially after they…

"TK…" Kari said softly. "I…It's good to see you again."

"Yeah…" TK replied uneasily. "It's good to see you, too. You…know what's going on…don't you?"

Kari nodded. "I heard…from a friend. TK…we're going back…aren't we?"

"To the Dark Ocean? I'm afraid so."

"TK…what if I can't come back?"

"You'll come back!" TK snapped. "Don't talk that way! You'll come back! You have a lot more friends on your side this time. Me, Davis, and…these people."

Kari looked passed TK and Davis to see the others that were present. Madison, Eriol, Yue, Ruby Moon, and the two living stuffed animals known as Kero and Spinner. Together, they were a unique cast of characters…and they were ready to venture into a world of darkness that they had never seen before.

"Those must be Sakura's friends, right?" Kari asked.

Davis was dumbfounded. "How did you know that? How did you know about this Sakura girl?"

"Davis, we don't have time for questions right now," TK cut him off. "We have to do this quickly. Kari, do you have your Digivice?"

Kari pulled out the one and only Digivice. "I always carry it with me."

"Do you have Gatomon with you?" Davis asked.

Kari looked over at her car. "GATOMON!"

Gatomon poked her head out the car window, seemingly unsure as to whether she should come out. Kari nodded affirmatively and Gatomon quickly jumped out the window and ran over to the three DigiDestined. With the three DigiDestined and their Digimon all gathered, the others soon joined them as well.

TK turned to the others. "Everybody…I want you to meet Kari Kamiya."

Kari turned to, what had to be, total strangers to her. "I heard everything. If your friend, Sakura, is in the Dark Ocean with three evil Digimon, then she's in great danger. We can't waste any time."

Madison blinked. "How do you know everything?"

"I talked to a friend of yours," Kari answered. "You know Li, don't you?"

Madison gasped. "LI?! Where is he?!"

"There's no time to see him right now," Kari shrugged. "But I CAN tell you that he's ok. Please trust me."

Madison was about to pry further, but a glance from Eriol prevented her from asking any more. Davis didn't know who this Li was or what to make of what Kari was saying, but he knew one thing. The time for action was here.

"So this is it," Davis said ominously. "I guess it's time. I guess we'd better open that portal."

"But can we really open a portal with only three Digivices?" Kari pointed out.

"You can if I give them some more power," Eriol answered. "Hold up your Digivices."

Davis, TK, and Kari weren't sure what this enigmatic young man had in mind, but to stop what could end up being a catastrophic situation, they were ready to try anything. So they all held their Digivices up while Eriol raised his hands. A long staff appeared in his hands.

Eriol began to speak in a deeper voice. "I call upon the powers of the day and the night. Sun and darkness, unleash your might. Release!"

A magic light began to appear at Eriol's staff…and the light soon shot out into the Digivices. The Digivices shot out a white light towards the brick wall nearby. A large portal began to open and Davis saw that same darkness he saw before. And from the look he saw on Kari's face…it looked like she recognized it as well. The young girl looked to be shivering in fright.

Gatomon held Kari's hand. "Kari…don't be afraid. You have to face your fear now! Nothing will happen to you! None of us will let anything happen to you. But you need to face this!"

Kari closed her eyes. "You're right. TK…Davis…you won't leave me…right?"

"What kind of question is that?" Davis replied. "Of course we won't! We won't let ANYTHING happen to you!"

Davis looked for TK to agree with him, but TK wasn't doing it with words. TK gazed at Kari in a way that indicated he wouldn't let ANYTHING happen to her. Kari's eyes weren't filled with fear anymore. She was ready to face her fears.

With that, the DigiDestined stepped into the portal.

* * *

Eriol didn't know what he was getting into. The reincarnation had all of Clow Reed's memories, but none of those memories were anything like this. This would be a whole new experience, but Eriol was more than ready to face what was ahead. For Sakura and Tori's sakes…he'd have to.

"It's time to go," Eriol said bravely.

Eriol watched as Yue, Ruby Moon, Spinner, and Kero all flew into the portal. And as he, himself, was about to enter…he noticed someone was holding his hand. It was Madison.

Eriol stopped in his tracks. "Whoa! Where do you think YOU'RE going?"

Madison shot Eriol a cold glare. "Where do you THINK I'm going?! I'm going with you!"

"You don't know what lies on the other side," Eriol protested. "Forget it! I'm not letting anything happen to you!"

Madison Taylor was always a kind girl who loved the world and would never hurt a fly. But when it came to anything threatening her best friend, she would do whatever she could do. And that DIDN'T mean standing by.

"You said it yourself, Eriol Eli Moon…"

"WHOA! What have I told you about that? **NEVER, EVER** use my middle name!!"

"You said it yourself," Madison continued, ignoring what Eriol said. "I get VERY passionate about ANYTHING involving my best friend! So I'm not ABOUT to stay behind! I'm going, too!"

Eriol knew he was fighting an argument he would never win. So he finally conceded. "Ok…but STAY CLOSE! We don't know what we're about to face."

Madison held onto Eriol's hand with her left hand and she held onto her video camera with her other hand. Eriol couldn't understand how Madison could carry her camera at a time like this, but he wasn't going to ask.

Instead, he took Madison and stepped into the portal.

* * *

Sakura was finally able to see straight again. But she still didn't feel much better. With the Sakura Cards drained of their power, Sakura didn't have much strength in her. And now she was seeing a raging Myotismon.

"I can't believe you three manage to foul up ONE simple task!" Myotismon shouted. "Do you think I can take over both worlds in this form?! I need more power! I must become MaloMyotismon again!"

Sinestromon turned to his two colleagues. "Whose idea was it to bring her brother in the first place?"

Savagemon pointed at the spider skull. "It was Psychomon! He saw the brother going on about his powers!"

"Don't try to blame this on me!" Psychomon shot back. "I wasn't the one who started attacking Yue!"

"But YOU were the one who knocked a tree on him!" Savagemon pointed out.

"ENOUGH!!" Myotismon boomed. "I've been reborn for about an hour and already I'm getting a headache! If the brother is useless, then there's no point in keeping him around, now is there?!"

Sakura gasped when she realized what that meant. Myotismon approached Tori with a menacing look on his face. Tori was still tied up and couldn't escape whatever the evil vampire-like thing was about to throw at him. But before Myotismon could strike, there was a loud boom. There was a portal opening in the distance.

Psychomon turned to Sinestromon. "It's about time!"

"That wasn't me," Sinestromon shrugged.

Savagemon scratched his head. "Then who…?"

Sakura looked out into the distance and could barely make out anything. There were six figures emerging from the portal…and three of them looked human. Sakura started to hold out hope that her friends had come for her. But the silhouettes she saw weren't in the shape of anyone she knew.

However, there was no mistaking that SOMEONE was coming to the rescue.

* * *

Davis looked around and saw the black and white surroundings. There was no mistaking that this place was indeed the Dark Ocean. He could barely make out what was ahead, but he did hear voices out in the distance. That was likely the three evil Digimon they were looking for.

"Kari…are you ok?" Davis asked firstly.

Kari nodded slowly. "I hoped I'd never have to come back to this place. But…I'm fine…for now."

"Then let's go!" Davis said boldly.

The Digimon walked ahead of the DigiDestined as they moved ahead, but they didn't walk very far. Three figures quickly arrived to intercept them. One of them was a disfigured ape, another a skull on eight spider legs, and the third was a cloaked human-like being in an ugly mask. Davis sensed that these were the three they were looking for.

"DigiDestined," the ape snarled.

Veemon stepped forward. "You three aren't like any Digimon I'VE ever seen. And I've seen just about every Digimon in the Digital World."

"There ARE no others like us," the cloaked one said. "Sinestromon, Savagemon, and Psychomon."

"Never heard of you," Patamon responded.

"But we know you have that girl and her brother!" TK added. "Where are they?!"

"You should worry about YOURSELVES first!" a VERY familiar voice replied.

Out of the shadows came a fourth evil Digimon. Davis recognized the voice, but desperately wished it were ANYTHING but him. He had a blue garment and a vampire's cape with a purple mask on his face.

Gatomon stepped forward and shot a loathsome glare at that Digimon. The look in her eyes said it all. She had once again come face-to-face with an old enemy. And although she started out as his servant, she had now grown to completely despise him. And the usually carefree feline now had a look of total hatred on her face as she recognized who was standing before her.

"Myotismon!"

  


Next Time: The three DigiDestined come face-to-face with their old foe, the evil Myotismon. But our CCS characters are on their way as well. A climactic battle will ensue, but who comes out on top? Come back next time for what should be the longest chapter of the series.

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!


	9. The Battle For Power

Last Time: Our heroes from both series went through the portal and headed into the Dark Ocean. The DigiDestined went in first and they met up with the three evil Digimon…and their master, Myotismon.

  


**Keeping Secrets: Part 9**

  


The tension was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. Davis couldn't believe what he was seeing. But the villainous Myotismon was standing before them all…along with these three evil Digimon. And Davis couldn't get passed one obvious detail.

"But we wiped you out!" Davis shouted.

"I remember you," Myotismon chuckled. "The impulsive one. The one who's even STUPIDER than he looks! You'd have to be to think that you could destroy me for good."

"Then HOW?!" Gatomon demanded.

"You'd like an explanation, wouldn't you?" Myotismon smirked. "One of those 'the villain reveals his master plan before destroying the heroes' bit, huh? Well I'm not the kind of guy to break tradition. And I wouldn't want you all to meet your doom without knowing the answer to the burning question: Just how DID the great Myotismon manage to cheat death THIS time?

"That's where my minions over there come in. Sinestromon, Savagemon, and Psychomon. All ultimate level Digimon…and my best work this side of Arukenimon and Mummymon."

"You CREATED them?" TK asked.

"That explains why I've never heard of them before!" Veemon piped up.

"You see, I had a backup plan in case my original plan failed," Myotismon continued. "In the unlikely even that I was defeated, I would gather bits of my digital data onto these three, who would be lying in wait where they wouldn't be seen. Once I was beaten by Imperialdramon, I managed to shift my data to Sinestromon, Savagemon, and Psychomon before he could deliver the final blow. But there was not enough data salvaged for me to reconfigure myself.

"That's the other reason I created these three. They were sent out to find a power source that would give me enough power to reconfigure myself. And they DID find a power source. All it took…was the power of 53 cards. The power of those cards…was enough for me to resurrect myself as Myotismon."

"You think that scares us?" Kari said boldly. "We've beaten you in this form before, Myotismon! And we can do it again! Right, Gatomon?"

Gatomon took another step forward. "It'll be my pleasure to destroy you FOR GOOD, Myotismon!"

****Gatomon…Digivolve to…Angewomon!****

"You won't win, Myotismon!" TK added. "Your brand evil and darkness can NEVER win!"

Patamon flew forward and landed by Angewomon. "We won't LET you win!"

****Patamon…Digivolve to…Angemon!****

"You should have known when to stay down!" Davis shouted. "If you think we're gonna let you go back to terrorizing the world, then you've got another thing coming!"

Veemon took a step forward. "You'll have to get passed us first!"

****Veemon…Digivolve to…ExVeemon!****

The three Digimon had now Digivolved. The mighty Angewomon, Angemon, and ExVeemon all stood side-by-side and got ready to take on Myotismon. But it didn't go quite as planned, because the other three evil Digimon stood side-by-side in front of their master.

Before a battle could break out, however, more figures began to emerge from the portal. Davis turned around to see Eriol, Madison, Yue, Ruby Moon, Spinner, and Kero all coming through.

"We've arrived just in time for a party," Ruby Moon chuckled.

"It looks like we're needed here," Yue added.

"Well…can't do much good looking like this," Kero thought.

With that, a large set of white wings engulfed the stuffed animal. When the wings spread, the stuffed animal had turned into a much-larger armored yellow lion creature.

"Nice of you to come out, Keroberos," Spinner nodded. "I suppose I should also reveal MY true form."

Having said that, another set of wings spread out and covered Spinner. When the wings opened up, the stuffed animal had turned into a fearsome black panther-like creature. Davis' spirits were raised even further now. ExVeemon, Angewomon, and Angemon weren't going into this battle alone.

But Myotismon had his sights set elsewhere. "It's Yue! Get him!"

The three evil Digimon suddenly ran AROUND ExVeemon, Angewomon, and Angemon and immediately headed towards Yue.

"Hey, you can't just ignore us!" ExVeemon said indignantly.

Angewomon immediately flew over to head them off. "Celestial Arrow!"

The Celestial Arrow attack landed on the ground, cutting the evil ones off. That gave time for Angemon and ExVeemon to run up to them for another face-off.

"What's the idea of just ignoring us like that?" ExVeemon demanded.

"Take care of those meddlers first!" Myotismon shouted. "I shall take Yue myself!"

Hearing that, Yue flew over towards Myotismon. "So…you wish to do battle with me."

The yellow lion, Keroberos, tried to protest. "Yue, what are you…?"

"Find the Mistress!" Yue cut him off. "You and Spinner Sun must find Sakura and Tori. I shall handle this evil one."

Keroberos hesitated, but then nodded towards the black cat-like guardian known as Spinner Sun. The two guardians headed off while Ruby Moon headed over to Yue's side.

"Go with them, Ruby Moon," Yue ordered.

"You can't be serious," Ruby Moon argued. "You think I'd leave you alone with this Dracula wannabe over here?"

"They may need your help," Yue persisted. "Now leave me be! Do it for Tori!"

Ruby Moon also hesitated, but finally understood. She flew off, trying to catch up to Keroberos and Spinner Sun. And that left Yue alone to face off against Myotismon. Davis wanted to help, but ExVeemon looked like he was about to have his hands full.

That fight looked like it would be one-on-one.

* * *

Yue's demeanor hadn't changed at all throughout this entire exchange. He still kept that same emotionless look on his face. The look of a warrior, ready to fight.

"I sense you want something from me," Yue said coldly.

"The power of the girl's brother resides within you!" Myotismon bellowed. "And once I have it, I will have enough power to take over BOTH worlds!"

"You want the power that was given to me?" Yue asked. "I cannot let you have it. If you want it, you'll have to defeat me."

"Then I shall do just that! Grisly Wing!"

Myotismon opened his cape to unleash a swarm of bats. The bats all headed for Yue, but they didn't get very close. Yue shot out a series of ice crystals at the bats, sending them scattering away. Then he aimed the crystals at Myotismon. But the crystals only shattered on his body without leaving a scratch.

"Is that the best you can do?" Myotismon mocked. "Crimson Lightning!"

Yue saw a whip of red light and electricity heading his way. The guardian put up his shield barrier just before the whip made contact. Once again, it was a stalemate. And it appeared that Myotismon was about to go back to square one again.

"Grisly Wing!"

More bats came flying towards Yue, so the guardian defended himself just as he did before. But as the bats flew away from his ice attacks, Myotismon struck again.

"Nightmare Claw!"

Yue didn't know what hit him, but SOMETHING hit him HARD. The guardian fell to the ground and immediately felt woozy…as if he were about to lose consciousness.

"Defeating you was easy enough," he heard Myotismon say. "Now…with your power…I shall RULE!"

* * *

Sakura didn't see where everyone went. All she knew was that she was still down on the ground…and Tori was trying to inch his way towards her.

"I don't know how, Sakura…but I'm gonna get us out of here."

But it wouldn't be easy. Both Sakura and Tori were still stuck and barely able to move. And Sakura, herself, was still feeling weak. Without the power of the cards…she felt helpless. But that's when she saw something that raised her spirits.

"Sakura!"

She didn't know how he got there…but Sakura was glad to see him, nonetheless. Keroberos was coming to her rescue, along with Spinner Sun and Ruby Moon. The three guardians landed beside Sakura and saw the situation she was in. Ruby Moon bent down and used all her strength to break Sakura free. Sakura no longer had the pressure on her arms…but still didn't feel 100% by any stretch of the imagination.

"How did you know we were here?" Tori asked.

"We have some new friends," Ruby Moon answered, as she broke Tori free. "Are you all right?"

"He looks ok," Spinner Sun said. "But Sakura looks like she needs help."

"Those things drained the cards of their power and sent them to that…vampire guy. I've never seen her like this!"

"Sakura and the cards are linked," Keroberos explained. "If the cards have been drained of all their power then we're lucky that Sakura has ANY strength whatsoever. But it won't last long. We have to get the power back to the cards!"

"This guy doesn't look like he plays around," Tori said ominously. "I don't think he'll give up that power without a fight."

"We're not exactly giving him a choice," Ruby Moon shot back. "I think we can all take him. Right now Yue should be warming him up for us."

"Yue's HERE?" Tori asked wide-eyed. "Where is he?"

"He's fighting that Myotismon thing," Spinner Sun answered. "We should help him."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Keroberos exclaimed. "Let's go!"

Sakura tried to get to her feet on her own, but it was no use. Luckily, she had a big brother there to pick her up. Tori draped Sakura over his shoulder and started walking off while the guardians led the way.

But by the time they reached their destination, Sakura had lost consciousness again.

* * *

Impmon watched as those humans were saved by those…things. They obviously weren't Digimon. Impmon was fed up with all these unwanted visitors and he decided it was time to do something about it.

Using every ounce of strength in his little body, Impmon pulled his right arm out of the sand. Then he pulled the rest of his body out until he was back on his feet again.

Impmon had given all of them a chance. They had their chance to just leave him be, but they didn't listen. Instead, they only mocked him. And although technically they were away from his cave, Impmon wasn't going to let them escape that easily. He was tired of being nice and now he would make them pay. And he knew the one way to make them ALL pay. Impmon got an evil smirk on his face, because he knew what time it was.

It was time for him to Digivolve.

* * *

The battle had begun and thus far it had been a very even three-on-three match. These three evil Digimon, all at ultimate level, weren't going down without a fight. But Davis wasn't backing down either, nor were any of his friends.

Angewomon struck again. "Celestial Arrow!"

The Celestial Arrow attack narrowly missed Sinestromon and now the cloaked being was ready to retaliate.

"Sinister Ice Rings!"

The Sinister Ice Rings wrapped around Angewomon and ExVeemon, leaving them both tied up. Both Digimon were stuck. The only one left free was Angemon. And it was down to a three-on-one.

"Sinestromon!" Myotismon called out from the distance. "Get over here!"

Sinestromon signaled to his two colleagues to finish the job as he ran over to join Myotismon. Savagemon and Psychomon closed in on Angemon.

Kari started to clutch her head. "T-The darkness…I can feel it."

Davis immediately rushed over to her side. "Kari! Don't give up!"

With the whole Dark Ocean surrounding her, this must have been a horrible experience for Kari. Davis and TK both held one of Kari's hands and tried to calm her. Davis then looked over at TK, who only grew more determined as he eyed the evil Digimon. It didn't look like he was fazed at all by the situation facing Angemon.

"I know you can do this, Angemon," TK said softly. "Don't give up! I know you can beat them!" Then he turned to Kari. "And we'll survive this. I know we will."

It was at that moment that something TK was keeping with him began to glow. TK reached in and took it out. It was his crest. The Crest of Hope was reacting. And with that…

****Angemon…Digivolve to…MagnaAngemon!****

Davis looked on in amazement as Angemon Digivolved into his ultimate form. He Digivolved into the heroic MagnaAngemon. With his mighty sword in his hand, Davis now knew that the odds had just shifted in favor of the DigiDestined.

"Come on, MagnaAngemon!" TK cheered. "You know what to do!"

MagnaAngemon went on to unleash his strongest attack. "Gate of Destiny!"

MagnaAngemon sliced his sword into the air, creating a void. TK told Davis about this once. It was the same void that entrapped evils like Piedmon. But the other two evil Digimon weren't going in easily. They clutched the ground and tried to hold their place on the ground.

"We won't be taken in!" Savagemon grunted.

"We ain't going down like this!" Psychomon added.

"HEY!" a third voice shouted.

Davis looked over to see…another Digimon. It was a huge purple Digimon covered in what looked like black leather from head to toe to tail. He looked like a deranged biker with a head of purple and white. And in his hands…were a pair of shotguns.

"I warned you guys to get out!" the third one said. "But ya just wouldn't listen!"

"Uh…you look familiar," Savagemon muttered.

Psychomon gulped. "You related to that little pipsqueak we buried?"

"I AM that little pipsqueak! Or at least I WAS. Now I'm…Beelzebumon! And it's the last name you losers will ever hear. Double Impact!"

The huge Digimon known as Beelzebumon opened fire and Savagemon and Psychomon lost their grips on the ground. The went flying into the vortex opened up by MagnaAngemon. As soon as the two evil Digimon were in, the vortex closed. Just as he had beaten Piedmon in the past, MagnaAngemon had now beaten Savagemon and Psychomon. Only this time…he had an assist.

MagnaAngemon tried to approach this Digimon, but Beelzebumon only pointed his guns at him. Helpful or not, this Digimon was certainly VERY hostile.

"You're lucky I don't waste you, too. Angels make me SICK! But I got another joker to deal with! So while I deal with him, maybe YOU should think about vamoosing!"

TK ran over to MagnaAngemon and pointed over at Angewomon and ExVeemon. "Free them first! We still have to deal with Myotismon!"

Suddenly, Madison and Eriol both rushed over and tugged on Davis' shoulder. They pointed out into the distance.

Davis looked over to see that Myotismon had already finished his battle with Yue. And Yue looked to be down and out. Time was short, so they all urged MagnaAngemon to free Angewomon and ExVeemon. But help was also arriving.

The guardians were returning.

* * *

Myotismon waited impatiently as Sinestromon prepared to use his Power Shift attack to transfer Yue's power to him. He already had the magic power of the girl and her cards flowing within him, but he needed more. And for that, he needed the power of her brother…which resided in this guardian.

Finally, Sinestromon raised his arms to begin the transfer, but he didn't make it in time. A huge flame was tossed at him and Sinestromon fell over. Myotismon looked over to see that Yue's friends had arrived…along with the girl and her brother.

"Now you weren't planning to do anything to Yue, were you?" the yellow lion known as Keroberos demanded. "Because you'll have to get through all of us first!"

"I'm getting sick of all these delays!" Myotismon growled. "Crimson Lightning!"

Myotismon attempted to use his Crimson Lightning attack, but his aim was off. He didn't end up hitting anybody. And matters only got worse as he saw three other Digimon headed his way. They were the Digimon of the DigiDestined.

Angewomon aimed her arrow. "Just…like…last time………Celestial Arrow!"

The Celestial Arrow was heading straight for Myotismon and looked to pierce his heart, just as he had been defeated once before. But it didn't happen, because Sinestromon jumped in and took the blow. The blow was a brutal one, however, as the evil Digimon fell to the ground and looked to fading fast.

"NO!" Myotismon shouted. He knew that if Sinestromon perished, there would be no one to transfer Yue's power to him.

Sinestromon breathed heavily. "I have been beaten! By my defeat shall not go in vain! I shall use what I have left…to ensure my master's victory!"

With that, Sinestromon let out a loud scream as his body pixilated. But the bits of digital data remains…started floating towards Myotismon. Myotismon then realized what was happening. Sinestromon was using his own power to strengthen Myotismon. And it was working…because Myotismon was beginning to Digivolve.

Everyone present gasped as Myotismon grew more powerful…and was restored into a familiar form.

He was now…VenomMyotismon.

  


Next Time: It's not exactly what he had in mind, but now Myotismon has Digivolved into VenomMyotismon. The Digimon and the guardians will have to bring everything they have to defeat this villain. So come back next time for the final battle! AND…is there one more side effect to this evil villain holding the power of the Sakura Cards?

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!


	10. VenomMyotismon: Sakura Card Mode?

Last Time: We witnessed a huge battle between the evil Digimon and the DigiDestined Digimon. Savagemon and Psychomon were quickly dispatched by MagnaAngemon and an unexpected ally known as Beelzebumon. The guardians managed to free Sakura and Tori, but Sakura lost consciousness along the way. Myotismon was about to be destroyed by Angewomon, but Sinestromon took the blow and used his last ounce of strength to send his own power to Myotismon. With that short burst of power, Myotismon Digivolved into VenomMyotismon. And now…we're ready for the final battle.

  


**Keeping Secrets: Part 10**

  


Davis thought it was all ending. It looked like Angewomon would take out Myotismon for good, but it didn't happen. Instead, the end result was Myotismon Digivolving into something he had never seen before.

Davis was in shock. "What is THAT?"

"That's VenomMyotismon," Kari answered grimly. "A Mega. And a nightmare that hasn't been seen in ten years."

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind," VenomMyotismon admitted. "I was hoping to be able to Digivolve into MaloMyotismon, but this'll do just fine. An oldie, but a goodie. I should easily be able to dispose of you all in this form!"

"That's where you're wrong!" Angewomon said vehemently. "We've beaten you in that form before and, in case you haven't noticed, the odds aren't in your favor, VenomMyotismon!"

"We'll see!" VenomMyotismon challenged. "Once I defeat all of you, I WILL find a way into the real world! And I shall take over!"

As he said that, VenomMyotismon pointed at them…but as he did, a huge flame shot out and hit the ground in front of the DigiDestined. Everyone was in shock…including VenomMyotismon.

"He…wasn't able to do THAT before," TK said apprehensively.

"Hey…that's weird," VenomMyotismon muttered. "I didn't know I could do that."

ExVeemon stepped up and faced off with VenomMyotismon. "Oh yeah? Well I don't care WHAT tricks you have up your sleeve. We'll still wipe the floor with you! Vee Laser!"

ExVeemon attacked with his Vee Laser, but despite a direct hit, VenomMyotismon wasn't affected in the least. VenomMyotismon tried to threateningly point at the champion Digimon, but as he did, a huge ray shot out and froze ExVeemon in a block of ice. He was left frozen solid.

Davis gasped. "ExVeemon!"

VenomMyotismon looked shocked again. "Hey…that's a new one."

Angewomon took aim again. "Celestial Arrow!"

The Celestial Arrow headed straight for the enormous VenomMyotismon…but amazingly, a barrier formed around him in the shape of what looked to be some kind of crest.

"The cards!" Eriol exclaimed. "Fiery…Freeze…SHIELD! He has the power of the Sakura Cards!"

"Hey, I like this!" VenomMyotismon grinned evilly. "I don't even NEED my old attacks!" He aimed for Angewomon. "Take this!"

Angewomon stood her ground, expecting a fierce attack. But instead, VenomMyotismon only shot out…flower petals…much to everyone's surprise…including his own.

"Hey! I don't want FLOWERS!" VenomMyotismon shouted. "I want something DESTRUCTIVE!"

"HEY!" a voice shouted out in the distance.

Everyone looked over to see the Mega Digimon known as Beelzebumon was methodically walking up to the scene. And he had his guns locked and loaded.

"You want destructive? Get a load of these! Double Impact!"

Beelzebumon opened fire on VenomMyotismon with repeated shots. But with the aid of Shield, the shots didn't make contact with the evil Mega at all. But Beelzebumon didn't look like he was about to quit anytime soon, so VenomMyotismon raised his hand again. This time, some powder shot out from his huge fingertip. When it sprinkled over Beelzebumon…he fell over and fell asleep.

"What happened to him?" Kari asked.

"The power of the Sleep Card," Eriol answered.

VenomMyotismon turned around and chuckled. "So…any other takers?"

"Yeah, me!" Angewomon challenged again. "Celestial Arrow!"

VenomMyotismon sidestepped the attack and pointed his finger again. This time bolts of lightning shot out and nailed Angewomon. The result left the ultimate devolving back into her rookie form, Salamon.

"Oh no!" Kari groaned.

Kari quickly rushed forward and bravely risked everything to pick up Salamon. Davis and TK tried to stop her since they knew what would happen and just as they feared, VenomMyotismon tried to fire at Kari. But when he pointed his finger…all he got was bubbles.

"Just my luck!" the evil one growled. "I HAD to get something HARMLESS!"

Kari managed to bring back Salamon in her arms. But with Salamon in her rookie form and ExVeemon on ice, that meant it was all up to…

…MagnaAngemon.

* * *

Eriol knew what was going on, so he decided to call a quick huddle. He called Tori (who brought Sakura over), Madison, Keroberos, Yue, Ruby Moon, and Spinner Sun over. They all huddled up and Eriol began to explain the situation.

"I think I know what's happening. He has the power of the cards and he can harness their power. But it looks like he can't control WHICH card's power he's using."

"That's a good thing," Keroberos said. "Imagine what this maniac could do if he actually KNEW what he was doing! If he could actually CONTROL cards like Fiery, Earth, and even TIME, then there would be no hope."

"Eriol…I don't know much about Digimon, but I don't think they're winning," Madison said grimly. "What can we do?"

"There is ONE thing we can do," Eriol answered. He looked over at the fallen Sakura. "We HAVE to wake up Sakura! If she can call on her wand, then I can use my magic to give it power which she can use to call the power VenomMyotismon stole BACK to the Sakura Cards."

"So who's waking her up?" Spinner Sun asked.

"You leave that to me!" Tori replied. "You guys try to give that…big…angel guy a hand."

The four guardians headed out to face off with VenomMyotismon while Tori did the only thing he could do. He tried shaking his sister awake. Madison even tried to help shake Sakura, too. Honestly, it was probably the only idea the two had. Eriol certainly couldn't think of anything better.

* * *

Davis tried pounding the ice block with his fists, but it didn't help. All it did was leave his fists sore. ExVeemon was stuck and there was no escaping. To make matters worse, it didn't look like Salamon would Digivolve back into Gatomon or Angewomon anytime soon. It was all down to MagnaAngemon now.

MagnaAngemon went on the offensive. "Gate of…!"

VenomMyotismon pointed his finger again and a large chunk of earth rose out of the sand, knocking MagnaAngemon down. While MagnaAngemon tried to shake the cobwebs, VenomMyotismon rushed forward.

"Nightmare Claw!"

MagnaAngemon was struck with the Nightmare Claw attack and fell to the ground. TK, Kari, and Davis immediately rushed to the big angel's side. VenomMyotismon tried to advance on the DigiDestined, but he was met with several ice crystals that hit him in the back.

It was the guardians. Yue and Ruby Moon were shooting crystals at VenomMyotismon. Keroberos shot out his flame and Spinner Sun unleashed his powerful red beam. But none of it was even making VenomMyotismon flinch. All it did was turn his attention away from the DigiDestined and MagnaAngemon.

And that would give the DigiDestined time to revive the big angel.

* * *

Eriol looked on as the guardians weren't faring too well. VenomMyotismon wasn't being fazed at all by their attacks and that meant time was running short. Both Tori and Madison continued to try and shake Sakura awake. Finally, Madison did the most desperate thing she could possibly do.

She slapped Sakura across the face.

Sakura started to stir. "What happened?" She opened her eyes and looked up at her brother. "Tori?" And then she noticed her friends. "Madison! Eriol!"

"She's awake!" Tori exclaimed. He tried to place his sister on her feet. "Come on, squirt! Up and at 'em!"

Sakura moaned softly. "What's going on?"

"Sakura, you have to get your wand!" Eriol explained. "Our lives depend on it! LOOK!"

Sakura turned her head to the battle scene and her eyes widened. "HOE!"

"This can all end, Sakura," Eriol continued. "But we need the wand!"

Sakura slowly reached into her pocket and pulled out her key. Eriol crossed his fingers. He had to be ready, also. Because he would also play a huge part in this.

He could only hope the guardians could keep VenomMyotismon at bay for a little longer.

* * *

The guardians weren't faring very well against VenomMyotismon. And MagnaAngemon was slow to get up. Davis kept trying to shake the big guy awake. With ExVeemon and Angewomon both taken out of the fight, he was their only hope.

TK held his head against the big angel's arm. "Come on, MagnaAngemon! Don't give up! I know you can beat him! You just have to get back up! Both worlds are depending on you! I KNOW you can beat VenomMyotismon!"

MagnaAngemon started to get to his feet, but suddenly the DigiDestined noticed that TK's Crest of Hope began to react AGAIN. This time, it was with a stronger white light. And not only was MagnaAngemon rejuvenated, but he also began…

****MagnaAngemon…Digivolve to…Seraphimon!****

The DigiDestined all gasped. Davis had never seen anything like THIS Digimon before, but from the look on TK and Kari's faces, it looked like they were also just seeing this mighty hero for the first time.

"MagnaAngemon Digivolved…" Kari gasped.

MagnaAngemon HAD Digivolved. In his place was a large warrior-like angel. He was covered in metallic armor and a metal helmet. There were eight golden wings on his back. The massive presence of this Mega Digimon was awe-inspiring. This was truly the biggest of the angel Digimon.

"Seraphimon…" TK whispered in amazement.

Seraphimon slowly rose to his feet and started walking towards the raging VenomMyotismon. He held his arm up and the guardians all ceased their fighting. It was down to a one-on-one fight…between good and evil.

"Someone ELSE for me to dispatch?" VenomMyotismon mocked. "I'll take you out easily with my new powers. I'll…AAAAAHHHHH!!!"

A bright blue light hit VenomMyotismon in the back…and out of his chest…a bright pink light came out. Davis looked over to see that Eriol was shooting the blue light out of a large staff. And the pink light was going over to a wand…being held up…by an auburn-haired young girl. Davis realized that it had to be that Sakura girl.

"Those powers do not belong to you!" Eriol shouted. "And it's time you gave them back to their rightful owner!"

"NOOOO!!!" VenomMyotismon boomed. "Losing…power. Feeling…weaker…"

After an agonizingly long few minutes, the light faded and Sakura stood tall. She looked to be stronger than ever and VenomMyotismon could hardly move. And that was the cue for Seraphimon to finish the job.

"Seven Heavens!"

Seraphimon formed seven balls of light…and shot them all at VenomMyotismon. There was no way the evil villain could withstand such an awesome attack. With a final scream, VenomMyotismon pixilated away, defeated and deleted. It was all over.

TK smiled. "No backup plan this time for Myotismon!"

Davis was a little more…boisterous with his celebration. "YES! WE BEAT HIM…AGAIN! I KNEW HE DIDN'T STAND A CHANCE!" That's when he realized something. "EXVEEMON!"

Davis ran over to ExVeemon, who was still frozen solid. Again, he began pounding the ice with his fists, but it was all in vain. ExVeemon was nothing more than a solid block of ice. That's when Davis felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see that Sakura girl smiling at him.

"I can get him out," she offered gently.

Davis was taken aback when he looked into those cheerful emerald green eyes. He got up and took a few steps back and cleared the way for Sakura as she took out a big card and threw it up in the air.

"Fiery Card! Thaw out that block of ice! Fiery Card! Release and dispel!"

Davis looked on as a red spirit came out and headed for the block of ice that was holding ExVeemon. The ice was engulfed in flames and the ice all melted. Sakura recalled the card as the ice finished melting…and ExVeemon shook off the cobwebs.

"I always knew I was cool, but I didn't think I'd be THAT cool," the champion Digimon said.

Davis smiled and shook his head. "Bad…"

Sakura scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "So…does anyone want to tell me what this was all about? And does anyone want to tell me…who THESE PEOPLE are?"

Davis suddenly realized that he and the other DigiDestined didn't exactly run with her pack. They were unfamiliar to her and that meant, once again, introductions were in order.

Eriol shrugged. "We're not getting into THIS again. Can it wait until we get back to Reedington? This place is pretty dark, even for me."

Sakura closed her eyes. "I've seen enough of this place to last me a lifetime."

"You're not the only one," Kari said. "Let's go!"

Eriol held up his staff. "Digivices?"

Davis, TK, and Kari all held up their Digivices as ExVeemon and Seraphimon devolved. ExVeemon became DemiVeemon once again, but the fight had taken A LOT out of Seraphimon. He devolved all the way back to his baby form, Poyomon. Eriol used his magic to empower the Digivices once again and the portal opened back to the clock tower in Reedington.

Eriol and Madison led Tori and Sakura back in. The guardians took one more look back and then followed suit. And now was the time for the DigiDestined to step in.

* * *

Kari was ready to go back home. She had seen enough of the Dark Ocean and she never wanted to see it again. But as she stepped forward, she began to hear those voices again. The voices of the shadows.

"Don't leave us again. Stay…and be our queen!"

Kari turned around to see shadowy creatures slowly approaching them. She knew that all she had to do was go back through the portal and she would be away from them. But she was paralyzed in fear. She couldn't move. And TK and Davis, who saw the shadows heading their way, were standing in front of Kari, ready to fight for her. But they would be the only ones, because the Digimon had already devolved.

But before the shadows could come any closer…

"Double Impact!"

Kari looked over to see that Beelzebumon had woken up and he wasn't happy. He aimed his guns and started firing away on the shadows, sending them scattering away. Kari was ready to thank him…until he aimed the guns at her, TK, and Davis.

"You know, I came to this place for a little peace and quiet!" Beelzebumon yelled indignantly. "A couple of years ago, I saw this Dark Ocean, with great scenery and TOTAL SILENCE! There never used to be any visitors until just now! And I almost forgot just how much I hate EVERYBODY! So I'll make you humans a deal. If you get out right now…I won't BLAST YOU!"

TK sweatdropped. "Ok, ok, we're leaving."

"Sheesh, you don't have to tell us twice," Davis added. "Take a chill pill, big guy."

"But let me just say thank…" Kari began…before Beelzebumon fired a warning shot in the air. "OK! WE'RE LEAVING ALREADY!"

Before Beelzebumon could get any angrier, the DigiDestined took their Digimon and ran through the portal.

Finally, they were heading home.

  


Next Time: The epilogue. Come back to see how everything goes.

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!


	11. Epilogue

Last Time: The final fight ended and everyone ended up going home (with Kari dodging a bullet in the form of those shadow things). Now it's on to the end.

  


**Keeping Secrets: Part 11**

  


Davis, TK, and Kari all ran into the portal without looking back. They didn't EVER want to see the Dark Ocean again, so they were all relieved when the raised their heads and opened their eyes to see…they were back in Reedington. Davis looked over to see that Kari was slow to open her eyes, as if she was waking up from a nightmare. The Dark Ocean always seemed to bring out fear in her.

Meanwhile, Davis noticed that the others were handling this…just fine. It was as if they had gone through this sort of thing before, which made him all the more curious about what kind of lives they really lived.

Sakura stood up and looked around, still unsure what to make of the whole experience. "So…who wants to tell me what just happened?"

"If we do THAT, we'll be here all night," Eriol shrugged. "Let's just say your dream came true and leave it at that."

That's when Sakura's eyes widened. "Oh, no! LI! Madison, where is he?!"

As soon as she asked that question, Kari opened her eyes and got to her feet. She started walking over towards Sakura, leaving Davis and TK still sitting on the ground trying to gather their thoughts. Davis looked on as Kari put her hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"I know where he is," she said gently. "He's ok. But…he was really worried about you."

"I'm worried about him, too!" Sakura exclaimed. "Where is he?" Then she realized something. "And…who are you, anyway?"

"My name's Kari. And I'm the one who took Li to the hospital. Right now, he's really worried…and I promised him I'd bring you back safely."

Sakura didn't want to wait. "Then let's go!"

Kari led Sakura to her car with one hand and held Salamon with the other. Sakura's brother and friends just blinked.

"Um…should we follow them?" the brother asked.

"It's probably a good idea if we go see Li, too," Madison answered. Then she looked over at TK and Davis. "Hey! Are you guys coming, or what?"

"Um…we'll catch up to you!" TK called out. He turned to look at Davis. "I think we should go. There's still time."

"Time for what?" Davis asked curiously.

TK smiled. "You know what."

Davis scratched the back of his head. He didn't know what TK was talking about, no matter how hard he tried to figure it out. TK didn't say anything more, but instead just led Davis to his car.

It looked like they were on their way to the hospital.

* * *

Sakura slowly walked through the hospital's third floor, looking around to see all the patients. The hospital looked packed that night, but it definitely looked like Kari knew where she was going, so Sakura just followed along. Finally, Kari walked through one of the rooms and found Li lying on the bed. He wasn't sleeping. Sakura recognized that look. He was thinking.

Kari nudged his shoulder. "Hey there. I told you I'd bring her back."

Li opened his eyes and gasped. "Sakura?"

Sakura rushed over and hugged Li. "Li! You're alive!"

"I wouldn't be if it wasn't for Kari," Li said, returning the hug. "Sakura…what happened?"

Sakura couldn't take it anymore. She burst into tears. "Li! I'm sorry! I never should have kept this from you! Everyone was right! I should have told you! I never should have kept my dream a secret from you!"

Kari took a few steps back. "Um…I'll let you two share this moment. I'll be outside."

"Kari…" Li began. "Thank you…for everything."

Kari nodded. "Don't even worry about it. Get well soon, Li."

Sakura watched as Kari left the room…and left her alone with Li. And once they were alone, Sakura gave him a kiss.

Li blushed. "So…you want to start sharing now? What happened?"

"Well…it looks like you'll be here a while. So I might as well start at the beginning…"

* * *

Davis, TK, and all of Sakura's friends waited out in the lobby for SOMEONE to come back. Finally, someone DID come back. It was Kari. She calmly walked over and took a seat.

"I'm glad this is all over," Kari sighed. "But there's just one thing that's bothering me." She turned to look at Davis. "Just why DID you ask me to come to Reedington in the first place?"

Davis stammered, searching desperately for a response. "I…uh…I…I…um…"

But Davis looked past Kari to find the confidence he was looking for. He saw TK…smiling…and giving Davis the thumbs up. Davis couldn't believe it…but he had TK's blessing.

That made it a little easier, but not by not. "Kari…I wanted to get you alone in the park, so…I could ask…if you…sorta…might wanna…kinda…maybe...

"Davis, spit it out," Kari said dryly.

"Will…you go out with me?"

Kari blinked. "Go out? Like on a date?"

Davis could already feel the sweat going down his temples and he nodded.

Kari…smiled. "Eh…why not? Sure, Davis."

That response completely flew over Davis' head. "Um…"

Silence.

TK waved a hand over Davis' face. "He's out of it…"

Davis was temporarily zoned out. But slowly…he started to get his senses back. And it all started to sink into him. A dreamy smile slowly widened across his face…and it looked like he was about to float on air.

"Y-Y-You mean it?" Davis asked slowly, his trance CLEARLY noticeable.

"Couldn't hurt."

Davis leaped out of his seat and fell to his knees, raising his fists in triumph. "YES!!!"

Everyone suddenly turned to stare.

Davis sweatdropped and took his seat. It wasn't easy for him to NOT make a scene after…getting what he always wanted. Since he first met Kari, all Davis Motomiya wanted…was a chance. And now…he would get that chance. He was on cloud nine.

Then Davis realized something. "Um…Kari…I'll be right back."

Davis got up and started walking…towards another friend.

* * *

Kari couldn't believe it. She actually said yes…to a date with Davis. She knew it had been a few years…since that fateful day when she and TK…broke up. And no one was there for both Kari AND TK as much as Davis was. If Kari had to start dating again (and she would eventually), then she was kinda glad to be dating Davis.

But there was still something bothering her. Kari moved over to the next seat and looked up at TK. She couldn't shake that feeling of…guilt.

"TK…are you ok?"

TK smiled. "Kari…don't even worry about it. We had our chance…and…it didn't work out."

"But…are you sure you're ok with this?" Kari persisted. "I don't want to start going out again if it hurts you in any way."

"I'm not hurt, Kari," TK replied. "I'm glad you're moving on. And to be honest…I'm actually glad you're going out with Davis."

"Really?"

"It's better than seeing you going out with a perfect stranger. If that happened, I'd have to run him over with my car."

"TK!"

"I'm just kidding. What I'm trying to say is……………I want you to be happy, Kari. And if this is what makes you happy…then I'm all for it. Don't worry about me."

Kari gave TK a hug. "Thank you, TK."

Kari did feel good. Davis was a wonderful guy. Even if he was a little egotistical at times and even if he wasn't always the sharpest knife in the drawer, Kari knew he was all heart…like TK.

And Kari appreciated that TK wasn't hurt by this. He truly was a special guy. She was even beginning to wonder why they even broke up in the first place.

Then she remembered.

* * *

Davis was feeling like he was on top of the world. But there was still something he had to clear up. So he walked over…to Madison Taylor, who was sitting in a nearby chair. Eriol was sitting next to her and the guardians had all gone back to…wherever it was they lived.

"Hi, Madison."

Madison smiled at Davis. "You know…I want to thank you…for helping me. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been out in Penguin Park tonight."

Davis felt his heart sink. "Uh…Madison…there's something I should tell you."

"What's that?"

"Look…I've seen the way you've been looking at me…and…I should tell you…well…you're a really nice girl and everything…but…"

"Davis, what are you trying to say?" Madison asked.

"I…like Kari. I'm sorry. I know you like me…but…"

Madison coughed, nearly choking. "WHAT?! You think I LIKE YOU?!"

Davis frowned. "You mean you don't?"

Madison seemed dumbfounded. "Davis…I know we've been through a lot, but…we've known each other for a few hours! I'm sure you're a nice guy, but I hardly know you. Besides…I'm taken."

"You are? Oh…um…who's the lucky guy?"

Someone else inched over and put his arm around Madison. It was Eriol and he didn't look happy.

"Me," he said in a low, deep, evil voice.

Madison giggled. "He's a sweetheart, isn't he?"

Davis sweatdropped and nodded. "Oh…yeah. Uh…so I'm glad you're taking this well."

"You have a really high opinion of yourself, don't you?" Madison smirked.

"It's called confidence," Davis replied dryly.

"I call it ego," Eriol shot back.

Davis shook his head. "Why does everybody call it that?"

Madison giggled and gave Davis a kiss on the cheek, much to Eriol's surprise. "I wish you all the luck in the world with Kari. Is there any way we can all stay in touch?"

Davis nodded. "I'll get you the phone numbers. We'll give you a call from Odaiba."

Madison shook her head. "Um…actually…it's pretty long distance. Maybe it'd be better if I called you."

"You're gonna call all of us?" Davis asked skeptically. "You must be pretty rich."

Madison smiled. "I've heard that before."

After that was said, everyone saw Sakura come back out. She looked like she was ready to go and Eriol and Madison were ready to walk her out.

"Goodbye, Davis."

"Goodbye, Madison."

Eriol hesitated briefly before turning to TK. "We really should trade stories someday. I'll try to order another pizza sometime."

TK gasped. "I forgot! I have to go back to work! Oh…I'm gonna get fired again!"

TK ran past everybody and immediately headed out to his car. Davis realized that he must been late and he'd have to leave right away. Davis could understand that. Then he realized something.

"TK!! You're my only ride!!"

It was too late. TK already left and Davis was stranded. It looked like he'd have to walk back. Davis couldn't believe it. But then he got a little help. He felt Kari's hand on his shoulder.

"I can take you home, Davis," she said cheerfully.

Davis…suddenly felt much better. Maybe things would turn out better this way.

* * *

Sakura motioned for Madison and Eriol to stay inside the hospital. She really needed some time to herself. But it didn't look like she'd get it, because once she stepped out of the hospital, she was met by her brother, Tori.

"Are we finally done keeping secrets from each other?" Tori asked.

Sakura smiled. "I guess you know all about me now."

"I've known for a long time, Sakura. What I don't understand is…what took you so long to tell me?"

"Well……I didn't know how you'd take it. I mean…I AM your little sister. I just thought you'd lose it if you knew I was putting myself in danger."

Tori sighed. "I know you're my little sister. But I can't stop you from doing what you have to do. If you're destined for this kind of life…then I can't do anything to change it. I just wish you would have told me about it sooner."

Sakura hung her head down. "Me, too." Then she smiled again. "You know…if I had known you had powers, it might have taken some of the pressure off."

"Well…I TRIED to tell you a long time ago."

"You did not!"

"I told you I saw spirits and all you did was get scared of ghosts."

"But that was a long time ago! I was just a baby!"

"Is there anything else you're keeping from me, squirt?" Tori asked.

Sakura reached into her pocket. "Do you know about…him?"

Tori took a long stare…at Kero. "I've known."

Kero frowned. "For how long?!"

"You're a really bad actor," Tori smirked. "Who would possibly fall for that stuffed animal act?"

"I wasn't THAT bad, was I?" Kero whined.

"It took me a while to figure you out," Tori said. "But it didn't take me long to realize you were more than a stuffed animal. That's all you get from me, Kero."

"You'd THINK Yue would have told me," Kero pouted.

"Yue's on MY side," Tori pointed out. "Besides, he said it was something you should have figured out for yourself."

"Yeah, he told me a lot," Kero sighed. He turned to Sakura. "Hey, Sakura…I'm really sorry I wasn't there for you through this whole thing. Some guardian I turned out to be. I shouldn't have left your side. Maybe none of this would have happened if…"

"Kero, don't even worry about it," Sakura cut him off. "What's done is done and we can't change what's in the past. We can only go on with our future."

"And the future just got a lot more interesting," Tori added. "Especially with…those guys in there."

"You think we'll see them again?" Sakura asked.

"I don't know," Tori replied. "You never know what might happen. But for right now…let's just go home."

It was the best thing Sakura heard all night. "You got it!"

Kero flew back into Sakura's pocket and everyone got ready to go. Sakura looked back and thought…Madison and Eriol could always walk back alone. And Li would be just fine now. Sakura just wanted to walk home, side-by-side, with her big brother.

"Hey, Tori. I'm kinda hungry."

"You want to order a pizza when we get home?"

"SURE!"

Sakura giggled at the thought of who might deliver her pizza.

  


**THE END**

  


Author's Note: It's great to have that series done! Unfortunately, school is starting up again, so updates will not be so frequent. But they'll still be around. See my author's page for more details. Thanks for reading!

  


Any comments? Then mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.


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